Tomorrow night is the Leonid Meteor Shower occurring most visibly between 9 pm and 10:30 pm EST. I watched the big one in late August and was amazed at how excellent it was. Supposedly we’re talking around 500 per hour! Astronomy has always been something I had been meaning to get into more and these events really make me want to get a legitimate telescope. It’s really fun with a bunch of people, going out away from the light pollution and laying down on your back. Be attentive, the one you miss could be the most beautiful. Hearing all your friends and yourself “Ooooh!” and “Whooooaaa!” in unison is quite amusing. Have fun!
Also I wanted to convey the message that laughter is sometimes the only way to handle life’s troubles. It’s free, easy, and fun. If everything seems like it’s piling up, it’s ok to laugh. It’s one of your healthier activites throughout the day. So is crying. In fact these two visibly emotional activites both keep us balanced in their own ways. Crying releases endorphins and actually makes you feel better. I guess the point is not to keep your emotions bottled up and to manage to find a way to express freely. If you keep it inside, it will all come out sooner or later. But when it happens later, you’ll have less of an ability to control when it comes out. Scream some too if you need to. But yeah, enjoy the meteor shower and the emotions.
powerinquestion
Black and white TV generation have monochrome dreams – Telegraph
This is a pretty interesting article. With numerous studies done, it appears that, as a whole, those of us who watched more color television growing up tended to dream in color more. Now I realize this is a generalization but even the fact that there is any disparity at all gives me a clue into how much we are affected by the media we encounter. Just as every social interaction we are involved in molds us into the social beings we become, with every instance of media exposure we are influenced that much more. Although I must say, the idea that TV has the ability to infiltrate my dreams certainly makes me want to watch a whole lot less TV – not that I watch very much anyway. I don’t even have cable. I really love dreams and I don’t want them to be full of TV show references someday (true, this is a bit of a leap of judgment). Or even worse – advertisements in our dreams. Maybe this is why they claim that dogs dream in black and white?
That’s all for now. I have some boring errands to run.
powerinquestion
I uploaded a couple of videos, more to come soon. They are located on the side of the page. One is funny, but both will make you laugh. Those Bonobos, wow.
I want to take a second to rant a little about some things.
As we become increasingly plugged into this technological world, the question asked is whether or not we are becoming less connected in a real intimate sense. In my Social Psychology class today we were discussing online dating and the stigmas attached to it by society. One girl mentioned that her mother had found apparent love online on eHarmony, they were together for 3 years. Her father apparently tries it too with mixed results. We noted as a class that most of the stigmas have dissapated in only a matter of 6 months to a year. It’s not just for “people who can’t meet regular people” anymore. I made the point that in a physical meeting, we judge based on the person’s physical appearance and ask questions later. But with an extensive number of questions and ways to calculate compatability, there seems to be some worth in the online dating scene for some people.
We’ve also talked about shyness in the class. Apparently shyness is on the rise in today’s American society. It is suggested that there is a connection between shyness and our dependence on technology and less face-face interaction. And maybe they’re right. I know all my wasted time in high school on my computer instead of hanging out with friends certainly has hindered my social abilities at later dates.
It’s becoming easier and easier for me to see and understand how all the inhabitants of this planet are connected. People tend to put the homo sapien on such a pedestal, rising above all other creatures tall and small. Yet the more I research into evolution and the like, I’m beginning to think that we as a species are merely a freak set of genetic mutations over time. There is nothing special about us. We are inhabitants of this earth and we need to start taking better care of this place. I’ve been reading about the Gaya theory and Daisyworld simulation as well, very intriguing stuff. It kinda blows your mind a little. The more I read and research, the more I realize that calling my high school experience “education” would be belittling the word. Usually I end up finding out that everything I had thought was correct in the world isn’t correct at all. What a world this would be if everyone realized how grey the lines really are. Nothing is black and white.
Here’s some songs/bands I’ve been listening to this week:
Regina Spektor – Far (album) – I like her more with every album. She manages to evolve with each song. She is a master of melody.
Cold War Kids – Something Is Not Right With Me (song) – Great band, great song, album, etc. The frenetic pace of this song kinda puts you on edge when you are listening to it. It’s one of their fastest songs that I’ve heard.
Phoenix – Lisztomania (song) – Great album too. Just getting into these guys. I kept hearing this song on the radio and had to get the album.
Miss Li – (entire catalog) – Wow. This is how pop should sound. Urgent, creatively melodic, beautiful voice. Let’s hope she doesn’t sell out too bad once people realize how great she is.
That’s all for now. Next time I think I’ll talk about “The Era of Awkward”. And maybe some racial relations within the National Football League.
powerinquestion
Is it more useful/reasonable/logical to question things we already hold as true or should we instead try to focus our efforts on answering questions posed by others?
Obviously one finalized, generalized answer to this question would be impossible. With each situation comes different context and expectations. Each new setting brings new realities for each person involved.
I feel that questioning authority and other applications of control that we experience is healthy for all people. When we see someone who is in power we must ask ourselves how they achieved such a position. In my opinion the concept of business ethics is more of a theory than an observation. While in a perfect world all people can stop making mistakes and stop misjudging things so that everything goes as planned. But this is not a perfect world.
Answering is important as well. Sometimes an answer can set a person at ease if said person had been plagued by the question previously. A question such as “What is the meaning of life?” has confused and baffled nearly every person at one point in their life. Enter religion. What better way to have an easy, concise answer than the acceptance of a god? While I am a devout atheist, I certainly understand the value of an answer and I know it works for some people. I have no right to tell them how to live or how to think. But sometimes answers are a form of control in disguise.
Is it better to carve in stone or break the stone and come to the correct realization that permanence is a sham? I feel that we must accept this transient life as our own. The only thing that will not change is change itself. Permanence is a dream; a hope that we will get what we want and what we deserve. A better understanding of how our world operates gives us good perspective on our own lives. To embrace change is to understand life’s essence. This is something that I’m currently working on in my own life. I hope it works.
The truth may be scary but at least it’s the truth.
- powerinquestion
I’m starting my first actual blog. I’m not looking to make the news or make a big splash on some bullshit internet forum. I just need an outlet for self-expression. As a male in today’s American society, I have been conditioned to be unemotional, stable at all times, and constantly on the spot. So this is a refuge of sorts for me. No one watching what I write or grading me on my technique.
I’ll give a short intro: I’m 23 and living in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan (Central Michigan University’s home). It’s a town of about 25,000, 40,000 with the students here. I go to the local community college full-time – Mid Michigan Community College. It’s cheaper with considerably less suburbanite offspring than CMU has. I am a sociology major.
I work at Coco Joe’s, a pirate-themed restaurant and bar in Mt. Pleasant. I am a line cook for five days a week. The people are cool and management is bearable most of the time.
Future plans include getting out of this town again. I lived and went to school in LA for one year after I graduated high school at a young age of 17. I skipped first grade so I was always the young one. I’m not too worried about a career or any of that right now. Word is that the average American adult will change their careers 3 or 4 times on average. I’m not into the big corporation-run world type of thing. I may end up with menial jobs for a while.
Tomorrow I’ll start writing things that aren’t necessarily my life story crammed into a couple of paragraphs.
