Information Travels Faster

So maybe I'm slow or something, but I found this awesome site only now. And I just happened to stumble upon it. Gives me the chills even to think about how much great new music I might have missed without this lucky and fortunate find.

Because that's what Hype Machine does; it monitors a vast amount of music blogs around the internet and brings music featured in them together, providing top charts, the mp3s in question for an easy listen (either on a flash player, the music player of your choice or internet radio stream) and direct links to the blogs themselves. Awesome! Keeps you up to date on what people are buzzing about in the music scene. Brings new singles and other hot songs to you before you even hear about them through the conventional channels. And what's most convenient it saves you the trouble of trying to find on your own good blogs to follow AND googling them and the songs you want to hear. Neat! Easy! Fast!

I actually found a couple of other services like this after I got interested in the concept. This one however seems after a quick glance to be the simplest to use and it appears to feed the most comprehensive list of blogs. A lot of them seem to concentrate on indie(ish) music, which makes the whole thingy even better :)

I'm so loving internet right now!

QoW, week 19

With this, I start posting my Quotes of the Week. Every week, once a week. I tend to go for especially touching, thought-provoking or funnyish lyrics if I happen to hear any during the week. Because that's how I mostly waste my time, listening to music.

I might also add some other weekly info. Facts and figures, predominant feelings and visions and other important stats. If I feel like it. We'll see how it goes. The quote of the current week can be seen in the bottom of the page.

Last week's quote: (week 19)

“Sunshine, we all see the same sky.
Looking, learning, asking the same 'why?'"

Belle and Sebastian: Song for Sunshine

Do-re-misery

Something's wrong with me. I haven't been able to listen to music in three days. I just can't figure out what to hear. It's one of those feelings I sometimes get when trying to decide what to eat. There would be endless possibilities but I wouldn't particularly fancy anything. And then when trying hard to come up with something I'd like, it would get even harder to decide and then all of a sudden nothing would feel right. On the contrary all the food in the world would feel -if not almost inedible- then at least like "blah, I don't fancy that so why bother eating at all". Yeah, I'm a nutcase.

It's not about being bored with music. I love music and I can't fathom living without it. And I haven't listened extensively to any particular band or even type of music lately that would explain some kind of a saturation point being reached. This shouldn't originate from simple boredom due to too much music around me in general, because I haven't actually listened almost any music lately. Been too busy doing other, more serious and boring stuff. Blah.

It most certainly isn't about lack of choices. I do own a pretty extensive collection of music of different genres and epochs. (Well I do have to admit I don't listen to rap or trash metal and the sorts, but then again who in their right mind does?)

This is just utterly frustrating. What to do? I'm going insane already. I need my tunes!!!

Oh well, maybe I'll try out some classical. A little bit of Vivaldi never hurt anyone, right? It's nice and light for this beautiful, sunny spring evening. And I wouldn't have to get anxious about the lyrics either.

Oh the joys of being a fastidious malcontent.

Dazed and Confused

I ran into my rebound guy today. We had lunch, we catched up, we hugged big. It was very pleasant and friendly and it was honestly great to see him. But it left me kind of confused. All these weird emotions resurfaced that I hadn't even realized I had towards him. It was part happiness, part nostalgia, part adolescent admiration, part regret I had let him go before I let anything serious happen between us. And here I was, all this time thinking I could have a meaningless fling with a good old friend that would not leave me emotionally attached. Something that would just make me feel better about myself for a bit and forget all the shit I had been through the past couple of years. A fleeting moment of uncomplicated joy and happiness in someone's arms I knew took me for who I was. No history, no future, nothing extra, just me.

At the time I thought this is what adults do. That they can loose themselves for a moment. Reboot. And move on. And how wrong I was! Either I'm not yet as grown-up as I had thought or it just doesn't work that way. You just can't share your innermost self with someone, bare your soul to him and then walk away as if nothing has happened. At least I can't. I guess it's a good thing. I've learned today that I'm not cold and heartless. I'm an emotional, feeling, warm and fragile human being. So what if I'm not all that mature and modern, unattached and independent. I'd rather be like this, getting attached to people I shouldn't and feeling things that are not rational and proportionate to the circumstances.

At least this way I know I'm alive. And that my heart still works. I still have a chance to really love someone. To really be happy. Someday.

He is a sweet guy. His voice is beautiful. I allow myself this one sleepless night. A beautiful spring night filled with sweet, girlish daydreams. And tomorrow I'll laugh at my silly romanticism and once again move on with my life.

I'm still alive.

Just to let you know. In case anyone was wondering.

Yes, and I'll make it even better than that: I promise I'll resurrect this rottening corpse of a blog in the near future (as soon I get my essays done for the semester and such).
I promised myself that this time I'll actually endure more than three posts :D
Maybe I'll go all wild and randy and write through the entire summer. Wow, that was a bold statement, coming from me.

So, I'll be back.
Scout's honor!

Shop 'til you drop

I'll start with a disclaimer: I hate shopping.

Or at least I always thought I did. I am however beginning to change my mind. This season sale has made me reconsider my position on the matter. First I went shopping with a dear friend just after Xmas. We were mainly browsing at stuff, but then I happened to find an awesome pair of boots at half price (made me veeery happy, I so seldom find anything decent for myself at sales). We had a great time together, and I enjoyed myself thoroughly (although I had practically no money to spend!).

Then today I went shopping alone like I usually do. I simply hated it. I couldn't find anything, got frustrated and angrier by the minute. A cold sweat creeped on my forehead. I started hating the crowd, the muzak, the missing price tags, the rude clerks behind the counter, and basically anything even slightly annoying. I was so happy to finally get out of the mall from hell that I actually sighed a long sigh of relief and laughed out loud.

So from those two experiences I drew the conclusion that it actually matters who you are shopping with and what your initial state of mind is. I had always thought it's fast, easy and uncomplicated to shop alone. I know what I want and I don't have to drag anyone along let alone be dragged to shops that offer me nothing, looking at things of no interest to me. I don't have to listen to anyone whining about the money I'm spending or the time it's taking or the like. Needless to say that basically the only people I have previously shopped with have been my mom (although she is sweet and means well she makes such a fuss about every single thing it would make anyone go insane in a New York minute) and boyfriends (being of two types: either in and out as quickly as possible - no browsing, no trying the clothes on, nothing - or endlessly comparing dozens of products and annoying the staff with idiotic questions) . Yeah, that explains a lot I guess, I get it now.

So, girly shopping sprees at the mall don't sound so horrifying to me anymore. I actually might have another try at some point!

So This Is The New Year

...and I don't feel any different (as Death Cab aptly put it).

Seriously, this was the dullest New Year's ever. I didn't get that special feeling at all when the clock hit midnight. I don't know, maybe I'm finally growing up. The big holidays and days that should be special don't feel like nothing anymore. Or maybe it's just a phase (hopefully!) and I'll get over it by next Holiday season. Go figure.

I did make a couple of resolutions though, although I'm always terribly bad at keeping them (I don't recall actually succeeding in any single one ever!!). And to the top of it all this time they're horribly traditional and unimaginative I'm afraid. Here goes:

• I will quit smoking by my birthday (less than two months to go, yikes!)
• I will exercise more and get rid of the yuky potbelly that's sneaked on me during these last couple of years
• I will finally make the time and start writing this blog regularly :)
  

That's more than enough. (I know I won't be able to keep half of those promises anyways but you can't blame me for trying...)

I am however very optimistic about this year 2007 that's lying ahead of us. I know it will be better than last year (although that had its good, great and awesome moments too). It's always great and somewhat liberating to begin a new year, I do get a sort of sense of starting fresh. Life is suddenly full of possibilities and there are new adventures and experiences waiting for me just around the corner if I only have the courage to go for it and live life to its fullest. And this year there's nothing holding me back! So watch out world here I come!