Stopping the World (Bloggerstock March)

This is my first month on Bloggerstock, aka to me as a shining diamond among the dozens of blog rings out there in the blogosphere. I am truly honored to join in writing with this group of talented and passionate bloggers. If you check out the founders on their site, I think you'd agree with my assessment of their abilities as well. For the month of March, the theme was "Stop the World, I want to get on/off!". 

Much to my delight, I get to host the lovely Kris from Because or Why Not. She is part of the Bloggerstock founding group (read: awesome) and a great blogger to boot. Here is her post. If you'd like to read up on my own on this topic, I am over on Dom's blog - Lije's Mindstate. So without further interruption, here's Kris:

I think I'm the minority but I've always been glad life doesn't come equipped with a fast forward or rewind buttons.  If I had access to these options I would abuse the crap out of them.  I'd probably still be nine years old just reliving a few of those years over and over.  Blithely skipping, of course, the times I cried over my math or wasn't allowed to go play with friends.  That's pretty much what life was like at nine.  Then there would be the temptation of fast forwarding before making even the most minor of decisions.  Or skipping out on all the "character building" moments in life.  C'mon, you know you'd do the same.

But a pause button...  A pause button is a concept I can get behind.  I don't see much evil that could be accomplished through being allowed to stop my world.  It would just give me the option of accomplishing so much more in a short amount of time.  Like writing this post, for example.  I could push pause, cook dinner, type this out, maybe have a nap, and still be fresh to go out this evening.  Yeah, I'm all over that.

Or maybe I could use it to stretch out the good times.  Good company?  Pause that.  Enjoy the conversation for hours and still be in bed by midnight.  Awesome fresh chocolate chip cookies?  Just hit pause and be eating them as long as you like, all for 100 calories.

In short, I could use more time.  More time to live life like I want to live it.  More time to sort out all the things that overload me all at once.  A chance to accomplish everything I know I could and still be lazy.  Time to snowboard every weekend and make my occasional work-free days stretch for glorious eternity.

Yes, a pause button is an idea I wouldn't mind.

__________________________________

Kris has done many things, but very few of them permanently.  A bit of a commitment-phobe she now records many of her musings over at Because or Why Not, something she has stuck by remarkably well.    Currently she's just a small-town girl with a lust for adventure.  It would seem that's, ultimately, her lot in life.

You Can Touch But You Can't Taste (Part Two)

First note: THANK YOU for your positive responses to the first part of the story. I actually thought that, after reading it over the first time, it was too boring for my blog :P.


Second note: I SWEAR I will get back to putting up posts on new music and old math soon enough. Just bear with me a lil' bit as I take a side journey into funny storytelling land. 


Third note: I also promise that I will a) get my guest posts done (even if it takes me until summer!) and b) recognize and respond to all the memes/awards that have been sent my way. Keep the blog love strong.


Alright, so back to your regular programming. Where was I? Oh yes, end of the first night.


I wish I could say that Bright took over every one of my thoughts and dreams after that night, but I have to be honest with you. Nope. She was a drop in the ocean of new people that I kept meeting every day at college. I barely could keep track of them all, regardless of their physical beauty. I even would forget the names of my three roommates on occasion. I can blame alcohol but I think my general distracted-ness is to blame. 


Fast forward a week after that first night to one of those "freshmen only" social events. This is generally a social meeting of some sort attempting to get more freshmen to meet one another and promote "class unity". Lured by the offer of free dinner, and free food usually can get me to do many many things, I was present at said event. The buffet table was already swarmed by a tremendously long line that immediately damped my enthusiasm for any type of class love. Bitches were taking my food...I didn't want to be friends with people who took my food. Yet I wasn't to walk all the way back to my dorm without a full stomach so I just planted myself at the back of the line. While I was conversing with my grumbling stomach, telling it to "chill out" and it telling me to "STFU You", I felt a tap on my shoulder.


"Hey! Remember me?"
Ummm sorry, I feel really bad 
"Riooooo, you were supposed to teach me how to dance. Like an engineer! Remember now?"
Holy crap, BRIGHT! How you been?
"Pretty awful, considering you didn't remember me!" (fake yet sexy scowl)


As we were catching up, I was beating myself up in my mind. Picture a bear mauling anything not bear-like - with blood, intestines, and people screaming everywhere. That was pretty much what my penis what was doing to my memory, with the promise of a "hell you don't even dare imagine" if this slip-up in face-name recognition cost me bed time with Bright. Again, I was hoping that my charm was in the "on" position or that it existed in the first place. 


"I had lots of fun that one night, we should hang out again"
Where did you go? I mean, we got a little worried about where you girls had gone.
"OMG! I am SO sorry about that! [her third friend] had found a guy that she knew with weed, and we got like totally high...we completely forgot about you guys"
No shame, I got SR home okay so it wasn't a problem at all.
"I hear about that, that was really nice of you. Most guys would have tried to pull a move on some girl they walked home."

You Can Touch But You Can't Taste (Part One)

I have a strange sensation every time I try to write a story that is has a sexual foundation. Plainly speaking, I just can't find the words to write it down. Where to start? What to include? Even the most basic requirements become mind-boggling...level of detail, renaming people, and even the basic time line of the story. But enough with the excuses, I want to y'all a story involving a girl and I will - writing standards be damned. 


This story begins, as most college ones do, at a kegger. Second month of freshman year, and I was running back and forth all over campus. Every backyard and basement like exactly like the one before, so the location of the party/kegger/get-together was of little importance. All that mattered was that I drink, "socialize", and go home with a good-looking young lady by the end of the night. 


One night, I followed my friend Del to yet another frat party - this one was an outdoor concert featuring a mostly drunk and mostly mediocre up-and-coming student rock band. I left for the bathroom and on my return found Del talking to three girls. One of these girls was her. I took so much time trying to find other names for her, but when I was typing my final selection, a much better fitting name took its place. Her name was Bright Eyes. 


At first glance, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Then I got up close to her. Whoa. Just...wow. She was of average height, somewhat curvy, with curly dirty blond hair. But it was her face that stole the show. As her faux name suggests, she had the biggest, brightest, and clearest green eyes I had ever seen. You know how they say you look at someone and fall into their gaze? I felt that but I didn't just fall, I plummeted head-first. To top it off, she had a smile that was both cute and sexy. I know that description fails in so many ways, but I struggle to put what I saw into words. Her smile was both inviting and shy, a good girl and a naughty vixen delicately mixed into one individual. Naturally, I was immediately at attention (not down there, fortunately) and ready to make some conversation. I introduced myself.


Hi, I'm Andres, you can call me Rio though
"Hi Rio. I like that name. I must be special then, to be able to call you that?" (cute grin!)
Not that special, I am just nice every once in a while (makes this face :P)
"Haha. You don't seem like a jerk to me"


Andddd we were off. Words were exchanged and so were smiles. I have completely skipped over my forced personal transformation and my elaborate montage of how I tried to learn how to flirt. Let's just say I was in the beginning stages of my practice. So yes, I was scared shitless of what I could say to her or how I should say it. Thankfully, cheap beer and a frightful concoction of so-called "jungle juice" does wonders for human interaction, particularly with attractive females. I wondered if I was doing well. Then I got some confirmation to that question.


"Hey, do you want me to get you a drink?"
Oh! Sure, I mean if that isn't much of a problem...
"They give jungle juice quicker to girls so I'll just grab two and bring them back for us!"


I was, to be cliche, over the moon. One of the cardinal rules of flirting that had been hammered into my head was this: if she does something, anything, that requires her going out of her way to do, she is into you. YES. She was getting ME a drink. Who said the guy had to go suffer through the long lines and plead with the frat brother tending the bar to hand over two drinks? Plus, she had just asked me! There was no concern for my friend or her two friends, just a clear obvious focus on yours truly. But then Del leaned over to get in a word.


"Dude, what are you doing?"
What?
"I was talking to her before you arrived, you are totally cockblocking me man. Not cool."

(mental record stops - rrreeewwwrrrrtt)

Wait, really? Had he been talking to her? I mean, I thought he was focusing his attention on the other two friends, who weren't bad looking themselves either. It was time for a decision, the girl or the friend. Del had been the very first guy that I had met moving in. He was the first one to join me in finding parties and also the first one to send me a 3am "where the fuck are you? get over to this party" text. He was a bro, one of the best.


Should I leave her? But...what if Del gets with her? Doesn't that mean I can't later on? I was confused and bewildered but I made up my mind right then. I liked Del as my friend and I want to keep being friends. And no girl was going to get between that - which was what I thought at that moment. I wanted close friends and this wasn't the moment to be letting them go.


Ok, fine. You talk to her. I'll try to hit on one of her friends
"We cool man? I am just saying, I don't mean anything by it.."
Yea we are cool, "bros over hoes" right?
"For sure, you're the man"


With this tag team switch I immediately blocked any further thoughts of interacting with Bright. She came back with our drinks and I thanked her for her efforts. Taking my drink in hand, I turned to attempt to chat with her friends. She made a few attempts to come into the conversation, but then gave up to focus more on whatever Del was trying to say. I found that her friend SR (which is short for Spanish Russian :D) was very cute and friendly, the bubbly type of girl one finds most often among the freshman class. Pretty soon, the party got broken up and our group of five went in search of greener pastures of partying. 


Walking around, we eventually found the "baseball house" the place, where I may assume, that the college baseball team lived off-campus and frequently threw parties. The house was dark, noisy, and most of all - swarmed with tall athletic looking dudes. This was not looking good for Del and I. Freshmen guys tend to have to fight an uphill battle to get laid, and more so here in the sports team environment. These guys were built, it was their house, and they were all upperclassmen so it seemed very likely that the girls had more options on the table than we did. Multiplying our efforts, we attempted to be every bit witty, sarcastic, amusing, and overall attractive to the girls. 


Bright: "My friend and I have to go to the bathroom, wait for us okay?"
Del: "Cool, we'll wait"


And wait we did. 10 minutes...20 minutes...half an hour...how long did these girls need to go to the bathroom? Del attempted to climb the stairs to the 2nd floor where they had gone to the bathroom, only to be blocked by a much bigger and much drunker baseball team resident. SR tried texting her friends over and over again, but to no avail. Del refused to give up. But SR was getting sleepy and she insisted that she wanted to go home. I volunteered to walk her back to her dorm, and Del insisted that he would wait for Bright and the third friend. I didn't know if sex or concern was motivating him (probably a combination of both) but I told him to keep me in the loop if he were to run into any problems. 


I dropped SR off at her dorm, which got me a kiss on the cheek and a "you are very sweet". Not a very successful night but I shrugged it off. I texted Del to check on the status. Status - he was still waiting. I chalked one point up for Team "Girls that Run Away from Funny Cool Guys to Hook Up with Athletic Jocks" and told him good night. 


Yet, as you may guess from the blog post's title, this was not the last time I would see Bright. In fact, it would not be the last time Del would have a pivotal role in my pursuits for her. I will continue the rest of the story soon enough.

Let's See Your Real Goods

I think auto-tune and electronica has left no area of music untouched. Seriously, there has to be a hundred wanna-be T-Pains within a 10-mile radius of me. Unfortunately, you have to realize that those sound filters and your digital instruments won't assure you producing a hit, and not even that you will be a good musician. Besides, you will be facing up against all the producers that know their shit and can create amazing rhythms, synthesizer or no synthesizer.

There's nothing wrong with the digital though, just so we are clear. I get annoyed when people keep complaining about all these new music technologies in their music. If you don't like your voices auto-tuned, then go the acoustic route, but even that is dicey. But just so you know, your much loved pop music is as guilty as the cheating hobag of an ex-girlfriend/boyfriend. The rap industry can't even begin to put a claim on temporary insanity, they are the ones that launched this program to the mainstream.

The real reason behind this post is not auto-tune or even electronic music. I like it, enjoy it, and dance to it, but sometimes I want to leave it all behind. Get back to the roots of music, and listen to just the chorus of human voices. Of course, I am talking about a cappella music. This genre of music has recently gained some attention due to the "The Sing-off" and I am all for more seasons of this competition. If you ever want to hear amazing, jaw-dropping, you-just-jizzed-your-pants-its-so-good, then head over to the a capella genre. 


This shit is hard. There is no other way I can state that. The melodies, the harmonies, the rhythms, the beat-boxing, the tuning, the choreography, the list goes on and on. Sincerely, when you realize that every.single.one.of.this.group. hits the right note at the right time, it just makes your brain hurt. Not to mention that the musicality is obvious, their music skills are right there in your face. An a cappella arrangement can make the difference between a tolerable song and an eardrum-blowing orgy in your head. 


I remember the first time I was introduced to a cappella. Of course I had sung songs without accompaniment in middle school and high school chorus, but I had never heard the levels of complexity that vocals could reach. Then I was on a college visit my senior year, and an a cappella group came on stage to sing for the visiting students. They sang American Girl by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, then Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-a-lot. My world was rocked. Who gave these guys the right to sing both rock and rap, I pondered. They looked like they were having the time of their lives on stage, belting about big booties and I asked myself: How did the hell did they make those sounds? Where did those awesome drum noises come from? Why are the freaking hairs on my neck standing up? I was hooked, no, addicted. 


So I will share with you readers some a cappella suggestions. Honestly, I have freaking too many favorite songs, so I just created a short list for you. If you wish for some more recommendations just let me know.

Keep Your Dreams Up

Trying to write up to my standards every post has been slowly killing me. So, I will just let it flow for this post. Everyone has a dream. Sometimes they are little dreams, like making a good impression for your first interview or dunking the basketball. A lot of them are huge dreams, such as writing a best selling book or becoming a big-name actor. Yet, the most important thing at the end of the day is not letting go of that dream.

Dreams get abandoned all the time. The reasons are many and list a wide variety of details, but one thing stays the same for everyone: regret. Waking up years later thinking, "Man I should have gone for that job." or "I should have asked her to stay." Now, you are just left with memories of what could have been.

But let's not get focused on the negative side of dreams, and instead let's talking about keeping them alive. It isn't easy. Our wishes are like weak flames, that need constant encouragement, careful monitoring, and thousands of hours of dedication. No wonder so few flames become a full rage fire. And so, to keep your spirits alive, I offer you a song, something I found on the internets. It is called Dreams Up by Hoodie Allen.

In simple terms, Hoodie raps about how he keeps at the dream of making it big, of making it as an artist and rapper. There must be hundreds of thousands of people out there trying to make it in the rap industry, let alone the music industry and the road can get quite rough. People get lost, or worse think they are farther ahead than they actually are, with a very skewed view of their life and success.

Some lines to think about:
"The only road I know is like the steepest now

and I'm on the outside but they can't keep me out

'Cause that's not the way my life should be

I'm overall nice and a tight MC"

This song has a tight feel, and the combination of fighting lyrics along with the upbeat beats add the shine to this finished product. "Dreams Up" should be added to the wake-up playlist, the song that reminds us that all our efforts are not in vain. Believe in yourself and in Hoodie, so we can keep dreaming to make it big someday.

Dreams Up by HoodieAllen

The Not-So-Serious List for 2010

Last post I wrote a semi-serious list of lessons I had picked up from the year 2010, but creating that list was a lot harder than you would think. You see, I kept getting these random sentences that popped into my head when I was trying to be all reflective and self-analytical. Instead of "Commitment! Responsibility!", all I could get was "Sex! TV! Dinosaursssss". You can totally see where I am coming from. So, in honor of all these crazy thoughts that pop into my head I decided to post them in their original un-filtered form.

(Asking myself) "So, Rio, what did you learn in this year 2010?"

• Somehow, in internet math, stupid comments are the solution to even stupider discussions
• On the web, everyone that disagrees with you has a 20-inch dick, multiple degrees in every intellectual field, and has lived more than you ever will
• I stopped whining, because there was always someone with a worse sob story than mine...bastards.
• The blue button on the remote is the "keep" button, great to know after all the good movies were deleted off of the family DVR
• Trojan viruses are filthy little shits, but you can call me muthafuckin' Achilles by the way I fight them off my laptop
• Farting in your car...during your long commute...in the New England wintertime is only hurting yourself and not entirely funny since you are the only one in the car, dumbshit.
• Making your own passport photos is an excellent way to feel super-spy, terrorist, and cheap all at the same time.
• Blogging anonymously might not work if you use your blog's email to respond to a flirty girl
• I still blush when a sex scene pops up and I'm around my parents, even at 21 years of age
• Yet I don't blush when I have to explain things like this to my brothers:
• In sex, there are 3 things you need: Enthusiasm, Knowledge, and Physical Endurance...I have 2 out of 3, I'll let you all guess which two though.
• If you are in a cleaner bathroom than you thought was possible, you are probably in the ladies' bathroom
• Just when you thought you had found a nice happy place...the trolls reveal themselves and not even Jesus, Gandhi, or Mother Theresa could resist screaming at these morons.

A quick summary, but a necessary one. All these points have little stories attached to them, but they in themselves are not gut-punching, tear-rolling hilarities. Let me know if you have any unserious lessons from 2010 to share.

The Top Ten Lessons of 2010

First of all, happy 2011 to everybody. I have been away for a while, and I know this is unacceptable but I will make it up to you. I promise. I'll even cross my heart and all other 4th grade playground talk that confirms our unbreakable oath. With the end of the previous year, everyone is busy doing their New Year's Resolutions and promising themselves to be overall better this year. Since I have been deemed as "unique","original", and "just plain fucking weird" from birth I decided to do something different for the beginning of the year. Let's look back and see what exactly Rio has learned in these past 12 months.

Lesson #10: Work Hard, Play Hard

Pretty obvious rule here. The reason I include this is that people can't seem to avoid extremes, and this lesson is not an exception. I either meet "sweet-awesome" partiers that can't handle the real world or the extremely annoying and up-tight workaholics. Prioritize the things you enjoy in life; your movies, TV, music, sports, blah blah blah. These things are important to keep yourself loose and flexible, you lose focus when you are stressed and anxious which then only leads to bad decisions and sloppy work.

Lesson #9: Agree to Disagree

Unanimous agreement on any topic at any given point of time is highly improbable. Politics, religion, scientific theories, and even what movie to watch tonight will be questioned by someone in your group. To this fact I have no doubts, since I have even had a discussion of how a sandwich should be made during class. Yet if we make an honest effort (key word: honest) to understand what the other person is saying, then mutual respect can be found. With respect, then we can appreciate any ideas different to our own, even if we disagree to the point of death.

Lesson #8: Attitude is Everything

Battles have been won and lost on morale and determination. Switch in "I AM THE FUCKING MAN (or WOMAN)" instead of "what's wrong with me? i can't believe i'm like this...no body loves me...". See what happens? You literally tear yourself to pieces and you end up with nothing, nada, zip, zilch. Whether you will succeed or fail will rest on how often you can raise your head and tackle the task at hand. Another suggestion for your line to yell is anything from the movie "300"...

THIS

IS

SPARTAAAAA

Lesson #7: Change your methods to Change your results

This quote comes to mind; "To have something you have never had before, you must do something you have never done before". Ah, so true and yet so hard to implement. You must either hold your nose or tighten your belt, because you are neither too high or too low for any activity that will benefit you. If the goals you place before you are that important, then you have give them the proper dedication they deserve. Do not be afraid to be compete and win, and do not be aloof to the needs of others in your journey to succeed.

Lesson #6: There is no substitute for hard work

"How do you get to Carnegie Hall?"

"...Practice"

The person who truly succeeds in any field is the person who has put in the most time and effort. You don't open your arms and hope that the sky will dump a best-selling book for you to publish. Certainly you don't expect an attractive lover in a package to come randomly through the mail (would be lots of fun, yet still a tad bit awkward). To that effect, if you want something, go get it, and keep at it until you do. Plain and simple as that.

Lesson #5: Dreams come and go, but Passion is forever

If there is something in your life that brings you joy and benefits you, then whatever it is; good for you. This activity/object/person is great. And if this thing is all of the above and you can't imagine a single day of your life without it, then we have a case of passion. Passion refers to whatever has carved a space in your heart/soul/being/other names for your existence, and it can not be removed easily if at all. Little kids always declare that one day they are going to be an astronaut, then a doctor, then a race car driver. As you get older, you realize what is truly important to you, what you are truly passionate about. You can't fight the feeling and good luck trying to get rid of it, so I only suggest we embrace our passions and try to incorporate them as much as possible in our lives.

Lesson #4: Family Love

The members of your family (either blood or not) are always going to be your source of support and loyalty. These are the people you can trust, the people you can always let in and talk about what is on your mind, and most importantly the people you can depend on in times of crisis. True friends, parents, and your siblings will have your back and they will always hope for the best in your life.

Lesson #3: Liberty with Responsibility

This one is difficult for people to wrap their minds around (including me, though I have improved on it this year *makes peace sign*). The more liberty you have and demand, the more responsibilities you must take on as a direct result. You want to live on your own? You have rent to pay, utilities to not overuse, and roommates to deal with. Have a car? You know the drill; insurance, maintenance, and gas. There is always a correlation between personal liberty and the things you are obligated to do to maintain that level of benefits. Too many people of my age group naturally assume that they have can have it all, but don't want to do anything to keep it all. You want a strong economy and job market in this country AND have benefits when you are older? Well the money has to come from somewhere, so don't look at me that way when I say that we need more taxes to get rid of the deficit. To quote Spiderman: "With great power, comes great responsibility".

Lesson #2: Priorities are essential

How you organize your life can and will decide whether you are happy or frustrated. Are you accomplishing all that you want to accomplish? Or are you just flopping around, doing nothing, and getting pissed off at yourself for doing nothing? Your priorities are the foundation of the direction your life will take. What is important, what is essential, and what is not so much have to be determined by you. Nobody else can tell you what is the most important thing in your life, and nobody else is going to remind you that you have to focus on the essentials and not on the distractions (Facebook, Angry Birds, Youtube, your girlfriend...what? oh that's my distraction :P).

And finally,

(drum-roll please)

Lesson #1: Every action has a CONSEQUENCE

You choose your successes and failures. What you decide to do or not do will affect the future, keep that in mind. Don't cut corners today, saying you'll make it up tomorrow because life doesn't work that way. Time marches on. Don't stop yourself from making that crazy life-changing decision because you are too scared. Regret stays around for a long time people! When taking action, pause, and ask "is this going to benefit me in the future?". If so, go for it and if not, forget it immediately.

...Unless it has to do with food, food is a game-changer. Anddd sex.

So yeah, make good choices folks. If you made so not-so-good ones in 2010, you now have 2011 to make all better again. That and you should blog about the not-so-good ones, get some readers and laughs out of it. Go for gold.

The Manliest Man

Lately there has been a discussion about guy and girl bloggers, and which gender is more followed. Not surprisingly, nearly everyone has agreed that girls are on top, and that their blogs are much more popular than your typical guy blog. So we, as males, have not necessarily been feeling the love. Some common complaints were that guy content was so-called boring and unfamiliar. This then made me think about various “manly” topics up in my head, and I decide to write (type) down a few of these testosterone-bathed ideas. These are some manly things for you to think about:

Sex

Unavoidable, obviously. Penis. Vagina. Sex. Lots of it. If there were a day that, I could claim, that this subject doesn't cross my mind, I am blatantly undeniably lying. Of course, this topic covers a wide variety of conversations. You could talk about porn, whacking it, blowing it, sucking it, etc., etc., but most of all, it is the fact that you had sex. And the hilarity and unbelievable events that lead up to, occur during, and after the act itself, like when the Danaconda gets some. I think the Lonely Island and Akon put it very well also. Even if there is a paper bag involved, it still counts!

Meat

Meat, meat, meat, meat, me-me-meat. Carnivores, unite, and bring your beef, pork, veal, turkey, partridge, and chicken over to my home. Vegetarians, respect and love, but I can't live without my piece of marinated, broiled, grilled, or barbecued piece of deliciousness. I'm so so sorry animal-loving guys and girls.(Not really, but I feel nice for once) Its not easy being a Grill Master either, you have to learn the secrets of the meat arts, creating the sauce to marinate in, choosing the right grill, and of course, how to perform the cuts. Now, I am not saying you have to eat meat to be friends with me, but damn it sure does help our relationship.

T or A

Ah yes, the eternal debate started from the beginning of mankind. Coke or Pepsi? IPhone or Blackberry? Tits or ass? How to decide...how to delegate a superior importance to one part of the female anatomy? On the one hand, the girls are hard to ignore since your eyes are magnetically being pulled down to the chest area of her figure. Pick your head up dude, you are kind of obvious, and close your mouth. Jeez. On the other, did you just see her walk by in those tight jeans? By all things that are holy in this world, how does it get so big? And round? And bouncy? Put that thing away please, I can't focus on my driving/flying/operating heavy machinery. I'm going to presume that everyone from the Mesopotamians up to the Romans put their finest philosophers on this discussion and even they could only come up with what is now the Hot or Not websites.

Sports

FOOTTBBALLLLLLL. BASEBALLLLL. BASKETBALLLL. SOCCERRRR (fútbol) Among other stuff typically in a guy's mind is "how is the game going?" and "I wonder what the score is". Now, I have never considered myself a guy's guy, but more like a nerdy guy's guy. The nerdy guy who knows about technology, science, video games, and not so much on the sports side of things. Yet, somehow or another, I get sucked into watching and following sports regardless. I am somewhere in between the dude that knows nothing about the rules and asks the annoying questions and the die-hard asshole of a fan that knows all the names, the scores of the games, and the 100+ years of history that the team has. So maybe according to "sports fans" out there, I am not true fan yet, but I want to spare myself the effort of learning everything related to one team. This blog does help out though. But I do have my teams. I am a Yankees fan (yes, yes, you can shut up now...haters), a Phillies fan, and a Barcelona fan. I have started liking the Eagles since they picked up Michael Vick and gave him another chance. But that's it though. I have science as my competitive sport. COMPUTERSSSS AND GRAPHING CALCULATORSSS. So fucking intense I tell you.

How do these above mentioned topics compare to your typical "omg he's so cute" post and your "wear this, not this, this season" entry? Clearly, you want to hear me debate some other girl's posterior versus her might-not-be-natural-but-thats-okay chest region. I think you just have to have an open mind. I listen to you talk about your prospects for love, and you hear me talk about how much I love T-bone steak. It's give and take ladies, give and take. In the meantime, of course I will comment on your searches for happiness and make fun of you for trying to write (yet again) about your wardrobe.

Some More Final Thoughts (Part 2)

Continuing from the last post:

4) Just watched the season finale of Dexter, and changed my mind about the whole episode in the last ten minutes. Wow, melancholy and loneliness is a theme that is usually is mentioned in the show, but we got to see a whole new side of it. The episode highlighted how solitary the life of everyone's favorite serial killer can be but left it with a sweet note. Kudos, Showtime.

5) As I read, I realize, from all the girl blogs I now follow, that I have to reevaluate how much I really "understand" emotions across the genders. I have always thought that my rational and logic thought process usually gets me to the bottom of all complex situations, but some entries I have read has left me drawing a complete blank. A "wow I don't even know what to say to that" or even worse (for me) is the "I don't know what I am supposed to feel about this". I typically ridicule other guys that fail to comprehend basic girl behavior but it looks like I have hit a wall myself. I guess there are some life events or emotions that are not easily translated to "guy-ese".

I declare this situation as a whatever though, because even if I can't understand everything going on or what are the emotions running through the minds of these female bloggers, I can appreciate the fact that they are even writing about it and sharing it with the world, and that takes some serious balls. (ovaries?)

6) Am loving 20-something bloggers. It actually is motivating me to keep up with posting, because I gots followers, whoo. Also the discussions are fun, not to mention I signed up for a blog swap and karaoke showing. You all will be seeing some of that stuff pretty soon.

7) I have a research project next semester. I am very proud of myself for getting this, considering that I haven't been in this situation ever before and it is not even my major. But anyways, the topic is interesting, the math should be good, and I hope to squeeze all the knowledge I can from this shit. Alright.

Now, before I go practice guitar, go listen to "Tighten Up" by the Black Keys. Imagine the song that you want to be played when you are walking away from a bad memory or a horrible dream in your life movie. This is the badass song you want playing as you slo-mo your way out of the screen.

Some Thoughts on the end of the Semester

I AM DONE BITCH.

I handed in my last final at 12:30pm today. Feels great, being completely done with all exams, all work, and all that stress for the moment. Now I feel like passing out, but I can't really do that considering I still have my commute home. Sleeping on the wheel sounds appealing but, and I may have heard this, that might not be a good idea. All in all, exams were fine. In one of my easy classes, the professor decided to pull a fast one and give us a conceptually difficult final. Not cool man, not cool, babies be crying because of you. But I won't complain too much, l uh am working for that guy next semester sooooo yeaaa...
Okay well to clear some final thoughts:

1. I didn't see hot girl again, oh well (secretly: damn!)
2. I have concluded that while girls are, in general, as intelligent as guys are...the girls in my French class take the whole womens-campaign-for-equal-respect thing back to the Middle Ages when you were men's property. Good job girls, hope to see you on Rock of Love Season 432.
   
3. I have finished catching up on some blogs. Man, people are funny and why oh why do I snort when trying to withhold my laughter.

I have to go so this is a short post. Will elaborate further later.

It's Beautiful Day/Weekend/Month

To start things off, I will never tire of listening to inspirational music. And I guess I will have to define it first before continuing. It is a song, a song that hits the spot right on what you are feeling at that moment. The notes and lyrics come to an intersection with the path of life, and you find that that artist/band/whatever knew and wrote about what you are feeling right now. Regardless of genre or even the original intent of the song, music can be taken in by the individual and interpreted to coincide with everyday goings. Sometimes I am working and I hear a certain song and "Damn yes! This is where I am and that is where I want to go". Music, for me at least, is a both a trail marker and path maker all in one. What songs you heard obsessively three years ago don't have the same quality to them nowadays, but they are a reminder of who you were and where you were at that time. Certain songs or artists bring past events to life or people into your mind. A fleeting memory of passionate sex, a tearful remembrance of a family member lost, or a triumphant event all can be captured in just a verse and a chorus. This is enough to bring the memory back to life, and back into your life.

So I have finished all my homework assignments and my semester project which had been a huge stress creator for me. My first exams are on Tuesday and I'm sure I'm going to get on some studying fo' sure soon. But at this point, I'm taking a self-reflective look on my life. In many ways it is not up to expectations, the dreams I had of my 21-year old self at 16. I'm back at home, I don't an independent life and my artistic dreams are still in baby stages. But on the other hand, I force myself to be realistic and face some truths. Most if not all of the drawbacks were my fault, my fault for trying to deceive myself that I could live life without committing to anything.

There are many highlights though! I work, and work hard for my grades now. I'm proud of my work and study. I feel like my brain is waking up, stretching, and going on the run it has been postponing everyday for the past 4 years. I get along with my professors and though I am working on the whole friendship thing, my anxieties, and anger, I have definitely met some friendly faces out there. Nicceee. From where I was a year ago to now, I have transformed and formed a new individual. Better, faster, stronger, Kayne start rapping...now.

The song I had in mind was "Beautiful Day" by U2. It is an amazing song in itself and I enjoy hearing it occasionally. But a few days ago I listened it and the lyrics seem to pop right out at me, literally and figuratively. It brought into mind all the times I woke up at 5am to commute early to get a parking spot, all the times I walked in cold scared to run into people I knew, and the insecurity that accompanies a person trying to get back on the horse of life.

"The heart is a bloom

Shoot up through the stony ground"

- I personally feel like my heart/soul/life-force will be whole once more someday. I just got to keep positive about it and keeping working my ass off. Am I right? I am so right.

"The traffic is stuck

And you are moving anywhere"

-I literally get stuck in traffic at least 3 times a week. I get angry when people cut me off and I stress out about getting rear-ended or side-swiped by a distracted driver. Not a fun time in my day

"You love this town

even if this doesn't ring true"

-I loathe the campus. I particularly enjoy the subzero temperatures and wind chill factor that leave me paralyzed and, in my mind, practically frostbitten in place that shouldn't be chilled for any period of time. Yet, I love this school because it is giving me a once-in-lifetime chance to change and fulfill my potential. Thank you for that, but I wouldn't mind much if you moved your campus about 2000 miles south.

"Its a beautiful day

Don't let it get away"

- Every day truly is, I know that this is true. I know that we all have the power to decide what the ultimate result of our days are. If I do just one thing better that I did yesterday that will improve my life, whether it is studying, blogging, practicing guitar, singing, or dancing, then my day has been a success. Little by little the days will add up and you create a life of advancements and achievements.

It's a beautiful day because I am done with classes and I am eager to rip through these finals like a little kid on some Christmas gift wrapping. BAM. It is a beautiful weekend because I will blog, record a cover (of this song), and be more productive than ever before. And it is a beautiful month because we will celebrate Christmas and the New Year, and I know, for a fact, I have earned my way back to the "nice" column on Santa's list. Wait, more like the "nice but still naughty where it counts" list. I just had to do that, I couldn't resist.

...That's what she said.

And before an avalanche of puns hits my blog, I will leave you with the beautiful song for all of your beautiful holiday seasons.