"the great escape..."

Sidenote: Michelangelo is officially out of hibernation mode and has become a professional escape artist. I built him an overhang for him to chill under, and a week or so ago I looked over to find him on top of it! That scoundrel. It finally collapsed under his weight and he went sliding down it sideways and meandered into a different corner, defeated. ....or so I thought....
Now that he has discovered this new trick, he go-go-gadgets his legs and neck all the time to reach the top of the overhang and climb up. Then he bites the side with his little beak mouth to try and pull himself even further up and out. I tried to catch it on camera this last time...he's extremely loud. What a little troublemaker.

Music Lecture Series: Part 2

Why People who say "I listen to whatever" are retarded.

Think of music as something you're consuming. If your television is on and there is a show playing about the least interesting thing you can possibly imagine, and then it turns into a horrible not entertaining at all show with bad dialogue, bad acting, and bad plot line, the remote is sitting right next to you- and you know your favorite movie is on the next channel...why would you keep watching?

If you take a bite of something that makes your lips pucker and leaves a bad taste in your mouth, but is bearable, why would you keep eating it when there is something amazing that tastes great right next to it?

If you turn on your radio and Bon Jovi, Lenny Kravitz, or Miley Cyrus is playing, and you know somewhere, on another station a click away, there are so many greater bands playing, why would you not change the station?!

Why why why?!

This isn't to say you can only listen to one genre of music. There are lots of great genres, bands, and songs out there. Different things for different moods... But good love, Form an opinion! Don't just listen to it because it "has a beat." Everything could have a beat if you tried really hard to find one! That doesn't mean it's not awful. Oh, and when I say 'form an opinion', what I really mean is form a good opinion. Pay attention, it's not hard. You don't have to pretend to listen to 'anything' to get cred with whoever you're trying to impress. If you do, that means they probably listen to 'anything', too, and let's give you a little credit...you could do better than that.

Music: A Lecture Series.

Pt.1: How music is important

There are thousands of quotes about music. Discussions, arguments, theories. It's kind of silly, really. What music is is personal. Once you hear a song that speaks to you, it becomes a part of you like nothing else could. It has the power to heal you if you let it in.

Music can lift you up when you need it, or keep you down when you want to be alone with your sadness. It can give you the extra push you need when you're working out, or help you relax when you can't sleep or you can't think. It can get you excited when you're looking forward to something, or make you cry when it's in the sad part of a movie. It speaks the things you wish you could, or washes you over with memories you'd forgotten you had. Homesick, nostalgic, excited, calm...music can do it all. What else is there out there that can evoke such different feelings so quickly? Music is emotion.

If you watched a movie that had no music in it, how hard would it be to get through? Everything would seem hollow. The chase scenes would seem silly and slow. The falling in love scenes would seem cheesy and fake. Scary scenes wouldn't be scary, there would be no goosebumps. How often is there a song in your head...a melody you're humming throughout the day without realizing it? What song should we play for the wedding? For the funeral? What music should we bring for our long drive? For our flight? What music should we turn on while we're cleaning? While we're working?

Music is always there.

"This music is the glue of the world. It holds it all together..."

"singin Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna!..."

Last Saturday I went with a group of people to The Hare Krishna Holi Festival Of Colors. The Hindu Temple looked like the castle on Aladdin. It was pretty amazing... There was sweet hippie music from live bands, and everyone just danced by each other and threw colorful chalk at each other. (Which really smelled pretty bad...it's scented kind of like incense, but lots of different ones mixed together creates quite a smell, especially when you're rinsing it off afterwards.)

I learned a lot about the festival in a couple of my world religion classes, but for those unfamiliar with the festival of colors, here is a brief summary from wikipedia. ha ha.
 "Every year, thousands of Hindus participate in the festival Holi. The festival has many purposes. First and foremost, it celebrates the beginning of the new season, spring. Originally, it was a festival that commemorated good harvests and the fertile land. Hindus believe it is a time of enjoying spring's abundant colors and saying farewell to winter. It also has a religious purpose, commemorating events present in Hindu mythology. Although it is the least religious holiday, it is probably one of the most exhilarating ones in existence. During this event, participants hold a bonfire, throw colored powder at each other, and celebrate wildly."


A few times during the day they had a countdown and had us all throw our chalk at the same time after we chanted along with them, and all you could see was a cloud of chalk around you...until you started coughing to death and trying to spit if it got in your mouth. Ha ha. All in all I would highly recommend it. Just keep your mouth closed!

I met up with my cousins in the crowd accidently and saw a couple other random people I knew, but my favorite was listening to the songs the band kept playing. "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty dumpty had a great fall. All the kings horses and all the kings men started singing- Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna!"
 You can sing along with any song if you know those two words.

According to theology, one's original consciousness and goal of life is pure love of God(Krishna)."Hare" is another name of Vishnu meaning "he who removes illusion". The mantra is repeated, either out loud, softly to oneself, or internally within the mind. This sound vibration surpasses all lower strata of consciousness - namely sensual,mental, and intellectual.

 Bravo, it was sunny and messy and fabulous. :)

To get a better idea of how it all goes, here are a couple sweet videos:

"music is reflection of self..."

"There are more love songs than anything else. If songs could make you do something we'd all love one another." -Frank Zappa

Music has a ridiculously huge impact on my life. It's amazing I don't write more about it, but then again... it's hard to write about something you feel so passionately about. I'm not sure why that is. Throughout my life I've had certain bands and certain albums that have influenced me greatly, and it's interesting what songs can bring back what memories. I've always wished life had a soundtrack. I guess maybe mine does. It would be hard to choose the most influential albums throughout my life, but if I sit down and think about it, I can trace back which albums stick out to me most.

1. The Goo Goo Dolls- A Boy Named Goo. This is the first CD I ever bought myself, and the first of my addiction to the Goo. Every time I listen to it, it calms me down, makes me laugh, makes me cry, makes me jam out, and makes me love.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. The Wallflowers-Bringing Down The Horse. This was actually my brother's CD, but I stole it somewhere down the line and it was a soundtrack to my mornings for a long time in high school.



3. Blink 182- High School was different once I discovered Blink.




4. Third Eye Blind- This CD got me through the first summer of Nauvoo.




5. New Found Glory- self titled. This was my first official introduction to the type of music I know and love today. The album was introduced to me while working in Nauvoo, and I switched between this and TEB the whole summer.




6. Bob Marley & The Wailers- Legend. The first time I really appreciated Bob was my Senior year of high school when Melinda's roommate had the CD and we'd play it for all of Campus Plaza to hear. Loved it. Totally rocked my laid back way of life.




7. The Foo Fighters- In Your Honor disk 2. I'd always loved the big hits of the Foo, but this album spoke to me more than any had in a long time. I was immediately hooked. That, and it inspired my only trip to Seattle, when BJ took me to see their acoustic show for my birthday. Seattle + The Foo= Amazing.




8. Our Lady Peace- Gravity. This album got me through my rough times.




9. Taking Back Sunday-all albums. This was love at first listen and I couldn't get enough of it, and I can still listen to every song and never get sick of them. It's the most memorable soundtrack playing from my road trip from CA to FL with my friends during Spring Break, and probably what I remember listening to most when I lived alone after that.




10. The Used-all albums. This was possibly the first band where I loved the raw craziness of his voice. It transitioned me, and also inspired a great road trip from Rexburg to California for Warped Tour with my roommate.




11. The Spill Canvas-Sunsets and Car Crashes. Every song tells a story that moves me.




12. Kings Of Leon-They are the soundtrack to my summer when I longboard.




13. Angels & Airwaves- We Don't Need To Whisper. This might possibly be the first CD I ever listened to straight through and really appreciated the music to. Normally I'm a lyrics kinda girl, but the music soothes me. I can listen to it for hours and days.




14. Weezer-Pinkerton. Most under-appreciated Weezer album by too many people.




15. Hootie and the Blowfish- greatest hits. I love Hootie, happy or sad.

funny funny

• BJ:
  you know, this whole depression thing is hilarious to me
  this is the richest i've ever been


• *special k says:
  we're not in a depression anyway. maybe a recession. maybe.
  
• BJ:
  i'm making plenty of money, spending more than ever, buying tons of cool stuff


• *special k says:
  and i've been livin for a year off 3 months pay, so i'm thinkin it's been a pretty good year


• BJ:
• i don't know what everyone else is doing
  they need to stop being depressed

• Jonny:  WHAT?! NOOOOO!!!
•  I think you underestimated my persistance
• Jonny: Nu uh...those ones you bought are actually fake!
•  Huh....they sure TASTE pretty real...
• Jonny: Ok I'm just jealous and in denial
• Wha? Oh I'm sorry, I was distracted by these delicious zingers...
• Jonny: you can't see me cause i'm in Springville...but i'm glaring in your general direction pretty hard right now...

• BJ:you blogging about me?
• *special k says:hahaha no, should i be?
• BJ:if you want to
• *special k says:about what?
• BJ:will you marry me? there you go. some kid proposed to you online
• *special k says: how unromantic
• BJ:probably wasn't the first time it happened to you
• *special k says: well i didn't wanna say anything...

• don't blog me!
• *special k says:yep. there's no backing out now
• you shouldn't have told me. now i have to try and be funny all the time