Connecting With Others

I've been glancing at my so-called "Facebook Friends List" and think to myself, What do I really know about these people? How can I begin to know them personally? The answers to these questions still elude me, but I'll come up with a solution of sorts. My gears of my mind are currently at work, devising a plan to effectively come up with an answer to sorts. If this all plays out, this might be the social experiment of my life!...thus far. I'm sure I'll be devising grander social experiments in the future of my life. 

Guilty Pleasures (Late Post!)

EDIT: I had actually written this months ago, but I didn't realize that I hadn't posted this yet, so it's been laying around, unused. Enjoy!

I had the strange pleasure of talking with some of my professors about their guilty musical pleasures. Even as I type this now, I can't stop smiling. I find it humorous to know that this different side of their selves exists. It's something that I didn't anticipate from them at all. On campus, they seem so reserved and conservative. Who knows what they're really like outside of campus? I only found out about this side of them since Dr. Dre popped up in their Pandora/Spotify radio (all I know it was internet radio - it could've been iHeartRadio for all I know). Anyhow, this tiny revelation led to an extensively humorous discussion about our musical guilty pleasures. Pretty much, my mind was blown by their exciting (and seemingly taboo musical preferences).

So, to conclude, here are three songs that reflect our musical guilty pleasures (mine included):

Linkin Park - "Somewhere I Belong" - I still don't know why one of my professors considers this a a guilty (if it was one of their later albums, I'd understand), but yeah, he hates to admit that he's into Linkin Park. He prefers Hybrid Theory or Meteora to their other albums.

Snoop Dogg - "Ain't No Fun" - My professor was almost ashamed (in a funny, awkward "promise not to laugh" kind of way) to admit this is her song (especially when she works out in her free time). She knows what exactly what the content entitles, and yet she's finding the music soothing and strangely empowering. Must be the beat of the song, I suppose. 

Kanye West - "It All Falls Down" - This is my musical guilty pleasure of sorts. I always turn to Yeezy whenever I want to just shut down my brain and not think. Like my professor and Snoop Doggy Dog, I also know what the content is and I just take it in by stride. However, I must admit that only West's "The College Years" (as I like to call The College Dropout, Late Registration, and Graduation) is what I find most attractive. Anything beyond that, I just can't listen to it - it's just too weird and not quite my taste. 

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!"

Lately, I've been feeling down. It's hard for me to admit this, since I'm making the conscious decision to post this entry for all to see, for all to have a little glimpse at one of my many flaws. Especially when the Internet is known for posting content that puts us nice and high and far apart from the rest. Still, I promised myself to be honest, especially to my "self", as I am now. "To thine own self be true..." as Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet. 

Anyhow, for the sake of truth and honesty, I'm sad to say that I've been sad lately. I know that's ok: people always have that "down time" in the rhythm of Life and I'm not an exception. However, the problem lies in the fact that I perpetuate this sadness, allowing it to bleed on and on for days, weeks, sometimes months, and unfortunately (regretfully so) years. What bothers me most is that I can't seem to let go and move on and that's where I'm at at the moment...again. I'm at the cusp of being overwhelmed with negativity that's unnecessary in my life...yet I invite it again, insisting for it to stay, give it food and drink, and ask for it to stay for as long as possible before this sadness must (temporarily) depart from my life. I bring it upon myself and it's such a drag...

I want to get out of it, but I just don't know how. I always think if I could cry it all out, I'd be able to relinquish much of what I'm already holding on to, but I know that's only a temporary solution. I know it'll come back, sooner rather than later. I've been taking action and doing things that are helping me feel good about myself, about life. I've been exercising and eating healthier as a means to begin developing a healthier self-image of myself; I'm still blogging here (obviously) as a means of reflection of what I'm going through, what I'm experiencing, and what I'm learning from my experiences; and I've been reading, writing here, listening to a lot of music, and other things to keep my mind engaged (distracted, really) from the negativity that dares creep into my life. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. These are really baby steps to a better perspective of life, but I'm hoping these initiatives will cascade into some torrential happiness that can help erode much of what I'm already harboring.

Breaking Bad

Again, due to having a crapload of free time this summer, I am feverishly attached to the Netflix and the television, since I'm feverishly watching Breaking Bad. The series finished just not too long ago, and I've somehow managed avoid as much as spoilers along the way. So, I'm now on a Breaking Bad marathon, and I'm now on the final stretch of the final 8 episodes of the series (though I may be done by the time this is posted). 

In all honesty, I'm a bit surprised that it's taken Walter White/Heisenberg some time to be on his own, and begin to establish his empire. In the seasons I've watched thus far, he was always under someone's thumb, whether it was Krazy-8, Tuco, or Gus himself. All the promos and such have always portrayed White as this ruthless man without scruples, but it's taken time Walter to become the ruthless Heisenberg. Also, Pinkman doesn't say "bitch" as much as I thought he would. He tends to say "Yo" more than "B", which is kind of disappointing to say the least, but I have no qualms about that.

I honestly I don't have much to add here. I simply loved watching (and still watching) this critically-acclaimed show. In some ways, I wish I had the privilege of viewing this show along with millions of people, so that I, too, may be part of the conversation, but alas, I was half a year too late, and I'm ok with that. I can't wait to have those lengthy conversations with friends (over beer, of course) about the show. 

"We ARE the Walking Dead!"

Now that the Spring Semester is over (finally!) and summer is here, I've been making some headway here and there to read the now-famous The Walking Dead comic series. Like most people (I think), I first stumbled upon the series through the television show, not the comic series itself (and even then, I started watching the show well into the program's third season, so as you can see, I am quite behind). As of now, I have watched the show up until the end of the third season (I'm waiting on Netflix for the fourth), and I'm currently reading the seventh "chapter" in the comic series (through the "The Walking Dead Compendium" rather than the individual issues or the volumes themselves).

Of course, whenever a book is transposed into a television show or a film of sorts, there will always be liberties taken and changes made, and The Walking Dead is no exception to this rule. While some of the key settings (the initial camp, the Greene Farm, and so forth) stayed the same, it is the characters (some are exclusive to the show) and the events that really make up for the majority of the differences, differences that make the television show and the comic series become their own dynamic entities, rather than having the show simply replicate the source material in a bland and boring way. These differences, in some nerdy way, excite me, since I like to compare and contrast one rendition with the source material or one rendition with another rendition. 

Rather than going in-depth with these differences, or even going into the plot, I just want to simply share this 2-page image that's found in the comic, powerfully stating that maybe it's not outside threat that should worry us, but perhaps it is "us" that should worry us. 

The Ballad of Vash the Stampede, or the Legend of the Galaxy's Greatest Gunslinger

Trigun - this is the first Japanese animation that I really got into. I was introduced to this anime back in high school, when I was a part of a club (the name escapes me, but we'd be introduced to various anime and held various video game tournaments, so that was cool), and I was immediately captivated by the show. 

In short, Trigun revolves around a lone gunslinger by the name of Vash the Stampede (aka The Humanoid Typhoon), infamous for destroying entire cities, especially the city of July, all too effortlessly. Thus, Vash has become an outlaw, with a 60 billion Double Dollar bounty on his head, dead or alive. Also, Vash is followed by two ladies, Meryll Stryfe and Milley Thompson, of the Bernardelli Insurance Company, in hopes to minimize the damage and danger that seems to follow Vash wherever he goes. Occasionally, a priest by the name of Nicholas D. Wolfwood joins the trio in the adventure. 

In the anime, there are two "Acts" (so to speak) that seem to take place. In the first "Act", the focus is more on lighthearted, emphasizing more on Vash's personal goal to spread love and peace amongst the people of the desert planet Gunsmoke, often overcoming problems non-violently (which frustrates the people that are involved in the situation, once they learn of Vash's true identity). So, in several moments, we're allowed to see a glimpse of Vash's true skill with a gun, as well as see Vash's true nature, a gentle and kind-heared being rather than being a malicious threat to the people.

However, it is the second "Act" that the anime becomes more serious and dramatic in nature. The focus is on the feud between Vash and his brother, Millions Knives. Knives is drastically different from Vash in the sense that Knives intends on killing off the entire human race, considering them unfit to be to be alive, while Vash wants people to live long, happy lives in peace and harmony with each other. Before the feud between the brothers can be settled, Vash fights through the Gun-Ho Guns, a elite group of assassins with superhuman abilities, whose only goal is to teach Vash "eternal pain and suffering."

It is this second act that I relish the most, because the anime wasn't afraid to delve deep into the philosophy of taking life from another person. Both Nicholas and Vash constantly argue between themselves over each other's actions. Vash believes that all life is precious, that nobody has the right to take the life another, and there is always an alternative to violence. This is why Vash does his best to solve issues without using his gun at times. Wolfwood, however, believes otherwise, since he has no problem drawing his gun in a fight. Wolfwood believes that sometimes there is no alternative: if you don't shoot to kill, you get killed. Wolfwood believes that some murder is justified, whether it's for protection, self-defense or otherwise. It's something for the viewer to watch and decide for themselves what is wrong and right.

In conclusion, Trigun is one of those anime that must be seen, especially the second half of the series, where focus of the story becomes quite philosophical. Great storytelling, soundtrack, and voice acting make this anime a priceless gem for any anime enthusiast.