Emotions

Emotions are powerful and complicated things. Everyone has them, but everyone experiences them differently. As far as expression goes though, I'm pretty well known for being a "non-emotional" person. But what does that mean, exactly? I'm not a robot; I have feelings like any other human being, I just deal with them in a noticeably different way than most. I've often wondered why, and after years of thought, I have it pinned down to a few different things.

First, I am an extreme introvert. I live completely within myself. That may be due largely to my dissatisfaction with reality. Or maybe I'm genuinely shy. Either way, even the people closest to me will never know half of who I really am, because my thoughts and feelings dwell so deep inside of me and I rarely share them. I'm very comfortable in my own skin, so I deal with things by myself.

Second, I am the opposite of a procrastinator. What does that have to do with emotion? I anticipate things. I don't live in the present, I live in the future. I dream, I predict; I like to be one step ahead of the game, always knowing what's coming, expecting the unexpected. Because I anticipate things, I deal with them emotionally in advance. I'm sure that sounds ridiculous, but it works really well for me. If I know something is going to happen, I create the event in my head and deal with the emotions ahead of time. Then I can handle the situation when I'm faced with it because I've already had time to process it. I guess what it dwells down to is that I like to have complete control over myself at all times. Or as Oscar Wilde once said, “I don't want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them".

Third, I am a perfectionist to the highest degree of the word. I expect myself to be able to handle anything and everything that gets thrown at me. I know it isn't humanly possible, but it's what I strive for. I tend to see emotional expression as weakness. If I can't handle my own emotions, I certainly can't and won't expect other people to be burdened by them. I consider emotion a personal responsibility. Handling your emotions is like brushing your teeth- if you make it a habit to take care of yourself, you'll get through life easier.

I think it's this combination of characteristics that makes me the way I am emotionally. And while people may comment on my sentimentality (or lack thereof), I think it's important to remember to stay true to yourself. Emotions may connect all of humanity on one level, but they are a highly individualized phenomena on the other. We cannot begin to understand each other if we first don't understand ourselves.

The Case of the Vanishing Rectangle, and Other Design-Related Mysteries

(this was inspired by an issue brought up in my Design Culture class)

First, a definition. Planned obsolescence or built-in obsolescence in industrial design is a policy of planning or designing a product with a limited useful life, so it will become obsolete, unfashionable or no longer functional after a certain period of time (Wikipedia).

Now, read this article regarding Apple designs. It's good I swear! http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/disruptions-you-know-you-cant-live-without-apples-latest-glass-rectangle/

And finally, a word of my own...

Built-in obsolescence is nothing but an annoyance from the consumer’s point of view. Most people aren’t made of money, so the notion of investing your funds in an item with a “limited useful life” seems absurd. Design should facilitate our lives, not cause problems. How annoying is it to have to replace the batteries in your calculator in the middle of a homework assignment, or better yet, how annoying is it that you can't replace the battery in your iPod when it dies? Very. But did you ever stop to think that those items were designed to manipulate you? Built in obsolescence is not a new phenomenon, so we’ve sort of become accustomed to things like changing batteries, or replacing an item completely because you are unable to change its battery. In modern times it's even more annoying when we know the technology exists to avoid such problems, and yet it isn’t always implemented. Why? Economics.

From a commercial point of view, I can understand why built-in obsolescence exists. It’s a cushion, or a near guarantee that businesses will continue to prosper despite the fast-paced changes occurring in the world. Apple is the prime example. They seem to put out new products in the blink of an eye, but with only very slight adjustments to either the software or physical design. Lots of people find this wrong, but I think the fault is in the consumers just as much as the producers. Sure, it could be said that Apple is taking advantage of its audience by constantly tempting them with new products, but the bigger issue in my opinion is that PEOPLE ACTUALLY FALL FOR IT! Why on Earth would you buy the new iPod nano, when your “old” version from 6-months ago still functions absolutely fine? What companies like Apple are really doing is altering our very culture, making people far more materialistically conscious than they need to be. It’s creating a social hierarchy based on who has the most up-to-date technology. That is not to say that everyone falls into the Apple trap. Actually, I know many people, including myself, who avoid it quite actively. In my life, I have owned a single iPod. I’ve had it for five years, and I have no desire to upgrade it. I am well aware, however, that the irreplaceable battery will soon die, and I will be left with a decision: do I invest in a new iPod, do I buy another brand of mp3 player, or do I live without? Whatever I chose, I find myself engaged in the unavoidable battle of built-in obsolescence.

And then there's the issue of increasing commonality. As built-in obsolescence becomes more uniformly immersed in our society, technology all starts to look the same. Why the obsession with electronic “rectangles”??? Why not circles or pyramids? I'm kidding of course. But it seems to me that the manufacturers are dictating society and I can’t help but wonder, when will we draw the line? Will people ever crave variation in design again, or has the function of an electronic object completely overridden its physical essence? That's not to say that people don't care about the looks of a product, because THEY DO. But has technology cut back on the carbs or what, because it's withering away to nothing! What will happen when we reach the limit for how thin a Macbook Air can physically be? Will things start getting bigger again? Will we find a way to eradicate the physical design completely and download the software directly into our brains? Sounds like a science fiction novel, but maybe it's not so far off. At this point in time, it's hard to reckon where electronic design is headed in the future.

The Present is a Gift

There are people who live in the past, people who live exclusively in the present, and people still, who live in a constant state of striving for an optimal future. I'd consider myself a combination of the first and last, which goes completely against the age old theory of living in the moment. 
People who are capable of living just for the here and now are blessed, but perhaps they are missing out on some of the finer points of life. Letting go of the past is just an excuse for trying to forget your mistakes, or erasing painful memories. But those memories make us who we are. Without those prior experiences, we would not be the same people we are today. And while living in the past is physically impossible, some people will drive themselves insane trying to solve or correct their histories. But life isn't always a puzzle to be solved, sometimes it's just about learning to accept and deal with the things that have happened and using those experiences to guide yourself. The past is very important to me. I spend a lot of time reflecting and remembering the good and bad times I've had, and those memories help me determine who or what has made my life great, and what I wish to exclude or include in my life from that point on. What is it they say we accomplish from studying history? We learn from our mistakes, and build towards a better future. And speaking of the future, there's absolutely nothing wrong with planning ahead, setting goals for yourself, or dreaming big- just realize that "tomorrow" is always undefined. It's okay to strive for something you want as long as you already have everything you need. I'm a dreamer. There's no squelching that. I like to imagine what grand and phenomenal possibilities the future can offer. But that doesn't mean I'm unsatisfied with the present- it just means I have confidence in myself and who I have the potential to become if I'm given the opportunity.
So living in the moment is really just a lifestyle choice. Those people may seem happy and carefree, but it's only because they don't acknowledge the past or let the future burden them. In my opinion, life has more depth when you learn to balance all three time zones. The present is empty without a past and a future surrounding it.

10 Not-so-Guilty Pleasures

"Why are you're trying so hard to fit in when you were born to stand out?"  

That is the question; whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of widespread judgement or to take arms against a shallow sea of people, and by opposing, lessen said judgement.
And yes, I did just go all "Shakespeare" on you. Sorry 'bout that. Moving right along...

Some people go through life, too ashamed to admit some of the ridiculous, unusual, or maybe embarrassing things that make them happy. But I'm here to say that if something makes you happy- embrace it! Share it with others! Because life is short, and suppressing your own happiness due to societal pressures is essentially the stupidest thing you possibly do. If you find that something tickles your fancy, odds are, it probably tickles someone else's fancy as well... (I realize that sounds slightly awkward- but it's just such a good phrase, I had to use it)! Point being: everyone has their undisclosed infatuations, and you'd be surprised by the unfathomably common mutuality of your guilty pleasures. So today I've compiled a list of 10 things that I love- and I've ranked them in order of ascending embarrassment as such:

#1) DISNEY MUSIC!!! No shame here. Anybody who knows me, knows I ADORE Disney music! There's no better way to de-stress from reality than to jam out to I'll Make a Man Out of You, Mine Mine Mine, Under the Sea, or Be Our Guest (just a few of my very favorites).

#2) Oatmeal Cookies. There really isn't anything shameful about liking oatmeal cookies- except HOW much I like them. Normally, when you're consuming something sweet, your body reaches a point of sugar overload where whatever you were eating no longer tastes good. Happens to me all the time, just not when I eat oatmeal cookies. If I to bake a batch right now, I could eat them all and want more. It's almost sickening, but there's just something about a warm, soft, oatmeal cookie that I can't get enough of!

#3) Facebook. Ridiculous, I know. It's sickening how the internet has absorbed all of humanity. Sadly, I am one of those people who is on Facebook quite a lot of the day. I used to hate people like that, but especially since starting college, Facebook has become pretty much the only way for me to keep in touch with all my long distance friends! And unfortunately 99.99% of my friends are long distance, so naturally I spend a lot of time creeping on them in order to keep myself updated. It's an addiction, but it satisfies my loneliness, thus bringing me happiness!

#4) Spy Movies. All I can say is that I've had a life-long obsession with everything spy-related and I blame it on my father. Due to the complete ambiguity of his work for the government combined his excessively frequent absence and constant traveling, I guess I grew up theorizing that my dad is in fact a secret agent, out saving the world rather than sitting behind a desk. In fact, before I was born, both of my parents had the highest possible level of top-secret clearance due to the nature of their work. (Naturally, I have no idea what it is they used to do...) And while everyone thinks I'm joking about my father being a spy- I can assure you, I'm not! And older I get, the more convinced I become. So I guess I enjoy spy thrillers because I feel I can relate to certain aspects.

#5) Knee Socks. I'm not sure why, but knee socks make me incredibly happy! I find them extremely comforting, if that makes any sense at all... for some reason wearing socks that come up so high gives me a feeling a security, and simultaneously makes me feel pretty geeky- in an awesome way. I don't think I own any knee socks presently, and now I have a rather strong urge to go out and buy some!

#6) Unconventional Vocabulary. I don't know why, but I've always loved using words that aren't commonly used, such as "snazzy" or "boustrophedonically"! It brings out my inner nerd I guess. Not to mention, I get great pleasure seeing people's reactions when I use these words in casual conversation.

#7) Tights and Leotards. This might sounds peculiar, but as a ballet dancer- I honestly feel more comfortable wearing tights and a leotard than anything else in the world. It's sort of bizarre because most people would consider that extremely UN-comfortable. But, they've become like my second skin- probably because I've spent about half my life wearing them. I guess I just feel the most "me" in them.

#8) Zac Efron. Random, but I can't deny it! His name has been tainted ever since High School Musical, but I (sheepishly) admit that I find him quite adorable... and contrary to popular opinion, I think he's become a pretty decent actor. [That was actually semi-difficult to admit because most people don't know that about me]

#9) Justin Bieber's Boyfriend. UGH- I am quite ashamed to say that this is one of my favorite songs to jam to while I'm driving. Let it be known that I am in NO way a fan of Justin Bieber- quite the contrary- but something about this song is extremely catchy to my ear, and despite the stupid lyrics, I cannot resist singing along when I hear it!

#10) Guys with British Accents. I've put this at the top of my list, not because I'm afraid to admit it- but because it's embarrassing how much joy it brings me. Guys with British accents are pretty much my favorite thing in the entire world! Their voices melt my heart and make me giddy like the way you get when you see an adorable baby animal. And the 2012 London Olympics this summer certainly only escalated my love of the English. (And, on the topic of British accents, I must admit that my all time favorite romance movie is Letters to Juliet because the character Charlie is pretty much the best thing since sliced bread!)

And there you have it, my friends. Ten unusual things that bring me joy!
So what are your guilty pleasures???

Prompt #1

One thing I'd really like to do in my lifetime is publish a book. So, in effort to keep me on my toes and maintain my writing skills, I'll be posting short little tidbits such as this, using various creative writing prompts as inspiration.


What can happen in a second?

Anything.
Everything.
Nothing.

A second could mean the difference between
life and death
love and hate
war and peace

In one second...
A object entering Earth's atmosphere can travel 44 miles
A human eye can blink seven times
Light travels 186,000 miles
A hummingbird beats its wings 50 times
Earth advances 18 miles in its orbit around the sun
Four babies are born and two people die

But a second could also be just that. A second. A small fraction of our lives in which nothing much happens aside from the passing of time.

A second is what you make it, so make every second count.

Makes Me Happy

I don't know about the rest of you, but every once in awhile, as I'm venturing through the virtual expanse we know as the internet- I come across something hilarious or inspiring or something that, quite frankly, just makes me happy! This is one of those things! If you haven't seen it, please do yourself a favor and watch it! It's well worth your while, and if nothing else, it will take you on a fantastic journey back to your childhood.
                                  
                           Behold the One Man Disney Medley

                            

Now, I could go on a rant about how amazing that was, but instead I'll just leave you to form your own opinion. Long story short, this guy is rapidly gaining recognition and I wanted to be the one to share the awesomeness of Nick Pitera with you!

PS. If you like Phantom of the Opera or Les Miserables, you should check out the links below! They are equally incredible videos! Enjoy!

                                            One Man Phantom

                             


                               One Man Les Mis

                              

The Thrill of Villainy

Recently, I’ve found myself being repeatedly intrigued by the villains I encounter in modern media. Naturally, my immediate reaction was that this peculiar new interest of mine is somewhat concerning.  But then I remembered back to AP Literature in high school. At some point in that class, I wrote a paper entitled the Thrill of Villainy, discussing the mesmerizing qualities that make the villains of classic literature so successful. Thinking back to what I wrote, I began to dissect my favorite villains and try to justify my fascination with them. Here's a general summary of what I deduced (all of which seems extremely obvious now that I've typed it out):

1) Villains drive the plot. Let's face it- most of the time, the absence of a villain would mean the absence of a story. Villains complicate things by creating obstacles for others. Life is never simple. There is good and bad, and while those two categories waver depending on your personal ethics, conflict between different types of people is inevitable.

2) Villains add pizazz. Be it a foreign accent, an eccentric lifestyle or a snazzy mustache- the villain is often very charismatic and exciting in one way or another.

3) Villains are Mysterious. Unless you're a terrible person, (in which case, I'm not sure why you're spending your time reading this blog instead of taking over the world, or whatever it is you bad guys do these days) you can never fully understand a villain. Or perhaps, such as in a murder mystery, you don't even know who the villain really is! Regardless, there is always an element of mystery surrounding the villain, which can easily seduce the audience.

4) Villains are unpredictable. I remember writing about this in my essay. Essentially, there are an infinite number of ways to be evil, while doing "the right thing" is extremely limiting. Therefore, you can often predict how the opposing force will act and react, but you can never be sure what to expect from the villain.

5) The best villains have comprehensive motivation. A villain who wants to take over the world just for the fun of it, isn't very exciting or relatable... The development of a complex villain however, is nothing short of fascinating. The evil genius types are particularly good. Perhaps they were influenced or mistreated by a parent or someone they cared about, or driven by their intellect and crossed some lines in the pursuit of knowledge/money/power (things that normal people seek, but on a miniscule level in comparison). It makes sense to be able to connect with a villain (assuming they're human) on a loose, but somewhat personal level. Just a smidgen of understanding goes a long way.

6) Villains are capable of the unimaginable. Most people struggle with the thought of intentionally inflicting pain on a fellow human being. There's that classic scenario of a bad guy breaking into your home and taking your family hostage followed by the haunting question of "Would you be able to kill said bad guy, if you and your family's lives depended on it?" A lot of people can't answer that query because it's something we can't and don't want to imagine. Yet, it's something we encounter in modern media all the time. One of the reasons villains are so intriguing is because they are capable of what most of us would consider to be unfathomable feats.

7) Villains have it easy. Contrary to what I just said above about the difficulty of evil, at the same time, villains sort of take drive through life via Easy Street. It's a whole lot simpler to play dirty and eliminate your enemy than it is to be tolerant, understanding, compromising and loving. And with that being said- it is my personal (realistic, not pessimistic) opinion that humans are born innately neutral- with a significantly higher tendency towards bad than good, meaning simply that being good, like anything else, requires a whole lot o' work!

 This is the point where I could start listing examples of some of the villains I find so intriguing, but most of you would have no clue who or what I was talking about. Instead, I will just quickly mention that one of my all time favorite villains is Lex Luthor (Smallville) because his back story is so incredibly complex! Even though he is ridden with evil in the end, I can't help but find myself connecting with his character on the most basic levels of humanity and sometimes even wishing I could justify his actions along the way, but knowing when lines are being crossed unforgivably. Those internal fluctuations between right and wrong, knowing that we can never fully understand other people's actions, are like a science within themselves. And that, my friends, is what I like to call the thrill of villainy.

Sidenote: If you haven't seen Dreamwork's Megamind, I highly recommend it! While it seems like a silly animated comedy on the surface, it's actually extremely witty and quite insightful as far as the art of villainy goes. Watch it! And I dare you not to love the main character (who just so happens to be the villain). MUAHAHAHAHA