Sharing is Caring: Part 1

Music has always been a big part of my life, from my own dabbling in piano, guitar, trumpet, djembe, and other instruments, to voice, and even just listening to many different genres. Music is in my blood, too--Everyone in my family (even my extended family) has some degree of musical talent, whether they utilize it or not.

I think the best thing you can do with music is share it. Therefore, I've decided to share with you my favorite album (of each genre that I like) of all time! Now, I want to break it up into five groups of three so that I can go somewhat in depth regarding my favorite tracks and favorite lyrics, as well as a general overview of what I think of the whole album.

1. Indie: Bon Iver's Bon Iver

 What I love about Bon Iver is mainly the uniformity of this album. The songs sound deeply related without getting superfluous or repetitive. It is easy to listen to, as well. It's relevant and poignant, but never loses that feel of soul. It's a good nighttime album, if you just want to have a quiet, reflective evening. Bon Iver never gets too loud or too fast, and most importantly, it doesn't pull any punches with its lyrics (no matter if they seem nonsensical or not). Bon Iver's made a large impact on the Indie music scene, and I have a feeling these cats aren't done yet.

Favorite Tracks:

• Minnesota, WI
• Calgary
• Beth/Rest

My Favorite Lyrics:
From Beth/Rest, this single line always jumps out at me more than the others because unlike all the other lines, this is straightforward and strong.

"I ainʼt living in the dark no more
it's not a promise, Iʼm just gonna call it"

2. Alternative: Linkin Park's 1000 Suns

  When I tell people I'm a fan of Linkin Park, I sometimes get a weird look in return. They get a bad rap for their angst-ridden lyricism in their early music, but I grew up with them and have watched them mature. Linkin Park's first two albums were good and fine, but I always had the feeling that the band could do more than down-tuned rap-metal. Then they released Minutes to Midnight and showed that they had some real diversity and skill in their musicmaking. A few years later, 1000 Suns hit and I was certain I had made the right decision in staying with them. 1000 Suns is one of my favorite albums of all time, because it tackles themes of American Exceptionalism, the danger of nuclear warfare, brotherhood, and standing up for what is truly right, coupled expertly with memorable quotes from J. Robert Oppenheimer, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mario Savio. 1000 Suns is as political as it is creative, and it does both quite subtly and powerfully.

Favorite Tracks:

• When They Come For Me
• Waiting For The End
• Iridescent
• The Catalyst

My Favorite Lyrics:
Oh, God, I have so many from this album, but my favorite come from Jornada del Muerto (Spanish for Journey of the Dead), which simply repeats two Japanese words:

"持ち上げて、解放して"

They read "Mochiagete, Tokihanashite" and translate to "Lift me up, let me go." The lyrics are then repeated in English in the song The Catalyst.


3. Metal: Mastodon's Crack the Skye

 When Mastodon's drummer, Brann Dailor, was interviewed about the album, he gave this description:

 "There is a paraplegic and the only way that he can go anywhere is if he astral travels. He goes out of his body, into outer space and a bit like Icarus, he goes too close to the sun, burning off the golden umbilical cord that is attached to his solar plexus. So he is in outer space and he is lost, he gets sucked into a wormhole, he ends up in the spirit realm and he talks to spirits telling them that he is not really dead. So they send him to the Russian cult, they use him in a divination and they find out his problem. They decide they are going to help him. They put his soul inside Rasputin's body. Rasputin goes to usurp the czar and he is murdered. The two souls fly out of Rasputin's body through the crack in the sky(e) and Rasputin is the wise man that is trying to lead the child home to his body because his parents have discovered him by now and think that he is dead. Rasputin needs to get him back into his body before it's too late. But they end up running into the Devil along the way and the Devil tries to steal their souls and bring them down…there are some obstacles along the way."

 So, pretty much, Mastodon does a lot of drugs. But, on top of that, this album has a lot of underlying themes. It's meant to signify the Greek element, aether, symbolized in the transmigration of spirits. Dailor explained the alternative spelling in the title, a reference to his sister who committed suicide at the age of 14:

 "Her name was Skye, so Crack the Skye means a lot of different things. For me personally, it means the moment of being told you lost someone dear to you, [that moment] is enough to crack the sky."

Favorite Tracks:
I seriously love every one of these songs, but certain ones that always stick out are

• Oblivion
• Divinations
• Ghost of Karelia
• Crack the Skye

Favorite Lyrics:
From Crack the Skye, I think these lyrics are really strong and tell of Dailor's love for his sister.

"Desperate heathens flock to sirens; guard your heartache well.
Mama, don't let them take her. Don't let them take her down!
Please tell Lucifer he can't have this one. Her spirit's too strong!"

To be continued in Sharing is Caring: Part 2!

If you like my writing, you can join the site to the right of the page, like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+ . If you have questions or just want to chat, I'm on Formspring too!

Thanks for reading. Stay human, my friends.

We Are United

 “There is no such thing as a 'self-made' man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts, as well as our success.”

--George Burton Adams

I want to begin this post with a thought, a notion, a meditation if you will. If you're in a place where you can speak without disturbing others, say it out loud as you read it.

All of us are connected.

Unity is something that is very important to me. If a group of people are able to set aside differences, drama, disagreements, and strife to come together for a common goal, what that group can achieve is astounding.

I used to be a stark Individualist, looking out for only my own skin without care for who I hurt, used, or disregarded along the way. I was using people for money, for their bodies, for food, for information, for anything and everything. What I didn't realize is that I wasn't just harming others-- All of that chaos I spread was hurting myself as well. Once I was shocked out of that behavior, I began a 4-month stretch of introspective philosophical observation during which I asked myself important questions. What connects all humans to each other? What should I value? How do I attain balance? What's the right way of carrying on functioning relationships with others?

I was trying so hard to find some big, deep secret, but it was ridiculously simple once I realized that it had been hiding right under my nose the entire time. 

What connects all humans to each other? Simply being human. 
What should I value? That intrinsic connectedness. 
How do I attain balance? Through solid connections to real people who help me preserve my values.
What's the right way of carrying on functioning relationships with others? To know that everything the individual does has an impact on everyone connected.


Chapter 39 of the Dao De Jing states quite clearly

The Master views the parts with compassion,
because he understands the whole.

 That could also be translated as, "Wisdom means viewing each part with knowledge and kindness, through understanding of the whole."

A few people have asked me, "How did you come to realize this all at once?" The silly (yet totally legitimate) answer is "Why, by playing World of Warcraft, of course!"

No, really. I was playing WoW at the time. As any of my close friends could tell you, my allegiance lies very heavily with the faction known as the Horde.

Insignia of the Horde

The Horde is comprised of the Orcs, the Darkspear Trolls, the Tauren, the Forsaken Undead, the Sin'dorei Blood Elves, and the Bilgewater Goblins. To anyone with a lick of fantasy knowledge, that seems like a bit of a motley crew. Why would Elves side with Orcs? Why would the maniacal Undead be trusted by... well, anyone? That's when I realized it. They are united through the fact that they're all misfits. They need to fight for their place in the world, and they have formed an allegiance (if a tentative one) in order to better assure mutual survival.

It makes me smile when I remember how closely my friends mirror that structure. A lot of people ask me about some of my friends, "Wow, how did you meet them?" or "Why do you associate with them?" or "How do you get along so well?" I always remember that my friends are my friends because we need each other, because we're human and because this world sucks. That's right, this world sucks and it sucks a lot less if you have more people who help you through the huge mounds of suck.

The other night I spoke with a good friend of mine who was having a bit of an identity crisis. She asked me, "What's my purpose?" Ah, the big question that has plagued philosophy for as long as it has existed. I didn't (and don't) claim that this is the absolute number one answer to this question, it is but my own. What's our purpose?

Everyone who has ever done something kind for you. Everyone who has shown generosity, who has studied with you, made music with you, taught you, helped you, protected you, everyone who has fought alongside you. They are why you are here. Because ultimately, even if life doesn't have a purpose, you have the capacity to make your own-- You can get by, with a little help from your friends.

If you like my writing, you can join the site to the right of the page, like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+ . If you have questions or just want to chat, I'm on Formspring too!

Thanks for reading. Stay human, my friends.

You Helped Me Write This by Showing Me to Give is Priceless

Someone once asked me if I thought I was a grateful person.  I thought for a moment, then answered honestly. 

"Yes, I do believe I'm a grateful person, even though I may sometimes forget to show it."

This person continued to ask me how I can say that, even though I don't give everything I own to charities and those who are less fortunate than I.

"I don't do this out of two reasons: The first being practicality. Right now, in this stage of my life, I simply don't make enough money to be able to give to the poor. The second reason is that if I had the money, I would put it into practice the way I saw fit-- that is, I would give it to those I know would use it for the greatest good."

 I continued to speak with this person about what the "greatest good" is, but that's not something I'll discuss in this post.

I think giving is the best thing that someone can do for another. Even if it's as simple as a gift of a card, a ride home, lunch, or a place to rest, giving is good for the soul. My friends are some of the most generous people I've ever met, and I am continuously overwhelmed by their will to give freely.

That being said, a lot of people give not out of altruism but out of the unspoken promise that they will get something out of it. While there's nothing outright wrong with that, if that's the only reason a person gives, then it's not out of altruism at all-- It's for the benefit of the self.

There are so many people who need help. Remember what you have. Remember what you can give. Remember what you can do.

"It's the thought that counts."

I was speaking with my good friend earlier today. She said something that I simply didn't understand at the time.

"It's the thought that counts to me. Seriously. I'd rather have you just tell me 'Happy birthday, I'm sorry I couldn't get you anything because I'm low on cash.' than get me something silly."

Now, I've naturally heard that before. "It's the thought that counts." Every time, however, I admit I really didn't give it much thought. After all, it may be the thought that counts, but think about how bad you'll look if you're the only person who didn't (or wasn't able to) buy gifts.

I had gone out to eat bún riêu (A kind of Vietnamese noodle soup) with a few of my friends, and I figured I should pick up a small snack for my friends who were back at my college. I bought a package of two spring rolls and headed back.

Some bún riêu. Never had it? Go fix that. Now.

I tracked down my friends and gave them the food, but one of my friends reminded silly me that she had eaten it before and wasn't overly fond of it. I was kind of disappointed. Not only had I picked the wrong food, I had also (in a sense) broken my promise to bring something back for her.

My disappointment must have shown on my face. She quickly assured me "But it's the thought that counts! Seriously! I think it's so nice of you to do this!" I was taken off guard. Does that adage apply to this situation? I suppose it must.

If the thought really is what counts, why do we even need to actually go through the action of buying or creating gifts then? We can just think them up. That should be good enough. Right?

...Yeah, no. We should get gifts because we want to, not because we have to. It's not an equivalent exchange. Of course, the other side of this is that if we are completely unable to get a hold of gifts, then you shouldn't feel obligated. If it's outside your power, then so be it. It's around this time of year we begin to lose track of what a gift really means, so this is why I decided to write about it today with that phrase fresh in my mind.

If you're able, I want you to post in a comment below what your favorite gift was. Just a way of reliving certain good memories.

Mine was the year I got the biggest Transformer ever for Christmas: Unicron. Jeez, that mofo was big. He was so big, he didn't transform into a semi. He didn't transform into no stinkin' Battleship either. No, he didn't even transform into a Boeing 747. This bad boy transformed into a damned PLANET.

Pictured: This bad boy (right), a damned planet (left).

So if you have one gift that really meant a lot to you, please leave a short description in the comment. It's good to remember these things from your childhood.