We have reached that point in the semester where I find it necessary to crank up the music and dance around my house to keep from going insane. It is awesome stress relief. Even if I don't feel happy and compelled to dance, I just start doing it and it makes me happy. :)
I'll share some songs that make me dance.
I don't care if you say you don't like bluegrass or country or anything with a fiddle, if The Gourds don't make you dance there's something wrong with you:
Seeing them perform that song during their Austin City Limits taping was the best live music experience I have ever had. I've seen hundreds of live shows so that is no small accomplishment!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Sincerity
It's been forever since I've written. I had pretty much abandoned this blog. But some recent events made me think that I need to write. I'm in my head now more than I have ever been (since most of my time is spent sitting in front of a book). This forces me to get out of my head a little.
One of my fellow law students died last week. As far as I can tell from the limited information we've received, he committed suicide. What a horrible thing for his family to go through. :(
Even though I don't have a clue as to what was going on with him, his death and the memorial service put together by the school got me to thinking about how easy it is for people to fall through the cracks. And how easy it is for the rest of us to let them.
There is a ridiculous social dynamic in law school. I say ridiculous because in a place filled with people learning how to be professionals, you would expect maturity. Instead, what you get is a repeat experience of high school (only this time everyone can legally drink and has more emotional baggage). The result is that very few people are genuine, and even those that are aren't genuine all the time. In fact it is risky to be genuine. And unlike in high school, you have precious little time to socialize. So if making friends doesn't come easy, most people probably give up. Or they are just friendly with others but no one really knows them "very well."
I sometimes feel like no one here really knows me. Sure, they know that I am Therese from Texas and that I am usually game to go out for a beer on Fridays. But they don't know much about what makes me tick, mostly because I am afraid to be genuine like everyone else. This concern bubbled up inside me when I was at Joseph's memorial service. If we are all afraid to be genuine, we can never help each other.
Perhaps there is something I can do that, in an indirect way, might honor his memory. I can resist the pressure to be anything less than genuine. No faking that I am not stressed or that I have it together when I don't. Maybe, hopefully, sincerity is just as contagious as faking it has become.
One of my fellow law students died last week. As far as I can tell from the limited information we've received, he committed suicide. What a horrible thing for his family to go through. :(
Even though I don't have a clue as to what was going on with him, his death and the memorial service put together by the school got me to thinking about how easy it is for people to fall through the cracks. And how easy it is for the rest of us to let them.
There is a ridiculous social dynamic in law school. I say ridiculous because in a place filled with people learning how to be professionals, you would expect maturity. Instead, what you get is a repeat experience of high school (only this time everyone can legally drink and has more emotional baggage). The result is that very few people are genuine, and even those that are aren't genuine all the time. In fact it is risky to be genuine. And unlike in high school, you have precious little time to socialize. So if making friends doesn't come easy, most people probably give up. Or they are just friendly with others but no one really knows them "very well."
I sometimes feel like no one here really knows me. Sure, they know that I am Therese from Texas and that I am usually game to go out for a beer on Fridays. But they don't know much about what makes me tick, mostly because I am afraid to be genuine like everyone else. This concern bubbled up inside me when I was at Joseph's memorial service. If we are all afraid to be genuine, we can never help each other.
Perhaps there is something I can do that, in an indirect way, might honor his memory. I can resist the pressure to be anything less than genuine. No faking that I am not stressed or that I have it together when I don't. Maybe, hopefully, sincerity is just as contagious as faking it has become.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Here, let me be the boss of you
Read this: "Survival of the Sudsiest", Washington Post
Listen to this: My Morning Jacket's Evil Urges
Eat this: Rising Moon Organics raviolis
Join this: Kiva.org
Admire this: Woodblock prints of Hiroshige
And finally, contemplate this:
"If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?"
— Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago
I'm here all week, folks. Tips appreciated. :)
Listen to this: My Morning Jacket's Evil Urges
Eat this: Rising Moon Organics raviolis
Join this: Kiva.org
Admire this: Woodblock prints of Hiroshige
And finally, contemplate this:
"If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?"
— Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago
I'm here all week, folks. Tips appreciated. :)
Monday, May 26, 2008
Neglect
Damn, I have totally neglected this thing. But there are some good reasons. As usual, I've been burning the candle at both ends lately. Got me a new job at Wheatsville (as HR Coordinator). And Black Star has really been gaining momentum in the last couple of months.
I originally started this blog to write posts about random topics, and put them out there in the world for people to stumble across. So I actually hate posts like the one I am currently writing that is merely a life update. But here I am. :) Now that I have explained my absence, I can return to the randomness that is my usual blog broadcasting.
I originally started this blog to write posts about random topics, and put them out there in the world for people to stumble across. So I actually hate posts like the one I am currently writing that is merely a life update. But here I am. :) Now that I have explained my absence, I can return to the randomness that is my usual blog broadcasting.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
SXSW recap coming soon...
Wow. 4 days, 39 bands, lots of free drinks and meals - it's enough to wipe anyone out for a few days solid afterwards. And as luck would have it, I've had to work 10 hour days all of this week.
But don't you worry, there will be an excellent recap of my splendid SX experience on here soon enough. I might even spoil you with links and embedded videos!
But don't you worry, there will be an excellent recap of my splendid SX experience on here soon enough. I might even spoil you with links and embedded videos!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
A Good Day to be an Austinite
There are rarely days where I don't feel lucky to live where I do. But there are some days where I just smile and appreciate how much I love my fair city. Today was one of those days. The weather was gorgeous - one of my favorite "winter" days with blue skies and just enough of a breeze.
As pretty as the day was, it was my evening that made me so grateful for my current geographical fate. I met some friends for a potluck in which we all made dishes with veggies from our local CSA, Johnson's Backyard Garden, and nibbled beforehand on local cheese, and then finished our night with locally made brownies (Mary Louise Butters) and chocolate (Arte Y Chocolate). Oh and let's not forget that we were drinking tasty home brew and listening to one of my favorite new Austin bands, The Story Of! Without necessarily intending to, we pulled together a night that revolved around celebrating all sorts of things that Austin has to offer. It is this effortlessness that I love about this town.
An out-of-town friend recently commented that it must be a requirement of all Austinites to proselytize about how cool our city is. I think that rather than a requirement, it is a side effect. You don't do it because you have to, you do it because you can't help it.
If I seem to be gushing more than usual about this subject, it is partly because I started planning my SXSW week today. So I am a bit giddy with excitement and filled with a sense of awe at the vastness of that whole endeavor.
As pretty as the day was, it was my evening that made me so grateful for my current geographical fate. I met some friends for a potluck in which we all made dishes with veggies from our local CSA, Johnson's Backyard Garden, and nibbled beforehand on local cheese, and then finished our night with locally made brownies (Mary Louise Butters) and chocolate (Arte Y Chocolate). Oh and let's not forget that we were drinking tasty home brew and listening to one of my favorite new Austin bands, The Story Of! Without necessarily intending to, we pulled together a night that revolved around celebrating all sorts of things that Austin has to offer. It is this effortlessness that I love about this town.
An out-of-town friend recently commented that it must be a requirement of all Austinites to proselytize about how cool our city is. I think that rather than a requirement, it is a side effect. You don't do it because you have to, you do it because you can't help it.
If I seem to be gushing more than usual about this subject, it is partly because I started planning my SXSW week today. So I am a bit giddy with excitement and filled with a sense of awe at the vastness of that whole endeavor.
Monday, January 28, 2008
A Life Soundtrack
Our lives all have soundtracks, made up of the music that we just couldn't stop playing for a period of time. Maybe others don't have these phases, but I know that I have no single favorite artist or band, but rather the favorite one of the season or year. And then I get that wonderful feeling of nostalgia when I hear one of those songs.
I don't know if it was the start of a new year or the discovery of the next piece in the soundtrack of my life, but I recently started thinking about what albums are inextricably linked to my memories. It's a lot of fun to piece together this list - and I think I may have the beginnings of an excellent mix cd. :)
Oddly enough, the albums that I listened to most in a certain time period (years aren't really the best method by which to categorize but they are easiest) weren't necessarily new releases. Judging from this list, it seems that I generally only keep up with current music trends when it comes to local stuff. I'm way behind the times on a lot of the rest of it. I need to work on that.
2001 Radiohead OK Computer / Moby Play
2002 They Might be Giants Severe Tire Damage / Spoon Girls Can Tell
2003 Okkervil River Don't Fall in Love with Everyone You See / Mason Jennings Century Spring
2004 Shearwater Winged Life / Belle & Sebastian If You're Feeling Sinister
2005 Micah P. Hinson The Gospel of Progress / The Decemberists Picaresque
2006 The Gourds Heavy Ornamentals / The Postal Service Give Up
2007 The Blow Paper Television & Poor Aim: Love Songs / Bob Marley Legend
2008 My Morning Jacket? (I'm currently neglecting all my other cds in favor of It Still Moves)
I don't know if it was the start of a new year or the discovery of the next piece in the soundtrack of my life, but I recently started thinking about what albums are inextricably linked to my memories. It's a lot of fun to piece together this list - and I think I may have the beginnings of an excellent mix cd. :)
Oddly enough, the albums that I listened to most in a certain time period (years aren't really the best method by which to categorize but they are easiest) weren't necessarily new releases. Judging from this list, it seems that I generally only keep up with current music trends when it comes to local stuff. I'm way behind the times on a lot of the rest of it. I need to work on that.
2001 Radiohead OK Computer / Moby Play
2002 They Might be Giants Severe Tire Damage / Spoon Girls Can Tell
2003 Okkervil River Don't Fall in Love with Everyone You See / Mason Jennings Century Spring
2004 Shearwater Winged Life / Belle & Sebastian If You're Feeling Sinister
2005 Micah P. Hinson The Gospel of Progress / The Decemberists Picaresque
2006 The Gourds Heavy Ornamentals / The Postal Service Give Up
2007 The Blow Paper Television & Poor Aim: Love Songs / Bob Marley Legend
2008 My Morning Jacket? (I'm currently neglecting all my other cds in favor of It Still Moves)
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