Friday, April 17, 2015

BEDA: Look At This Fool, All Blogging Again

  • If you have to eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Although I love lasagna, a lot, I would have to go with pizza. There's so much variety in it! It is also very tasty. Would be harder to get sick of it and you could also make healthier versions of it if need be.
  • Would you rather be deaf or blind? 
I think I would rather be deaf. I rely on my vision a lot, despite the fact that it's nowhere near perfect. It's also rather essential for visual art, which is something I've always done. Since I can remember. I might take breaks from it that last for several months, I may often even despise my art and art capabilities, but I always go back to it. It's like a compulsion. Becoming blind would probably cause me more trauma, a la depression and frustration. And if we're talking from birth then...hmm, probably still gonna go with deaf.
  • How are you? 
Meh.

I guess I'll also respond to my own questions. Barring the one I already answered:
  • How many pillows do you sleep with and do you have a specific order you pile them in? What is your system?
I have 4 pillows, one of them is technically 3 pillows but they've gone all flat so I combine them and shove them into one pillow case. Honestly, I would like more pillows. Even if I probably wouldn't use them that much. I just really like them, and they tend to go too flat as the time goes on so I feel like I'm always in need for some new ones. I could actually use one more pillow right now. I already do have one tiny extra one, a decorative pillow, but it's waiting to be washed. So what I really need is to get that 5th pillow clean.

I always pile my pillows in a specific way. The larger softer ones are at the bottom, two next to each other, then the medium pillow that works as a bridge between them, and then there's one thin pillow on top that I can really mold into a good form for my face (or alternatively I can use it to cover my eyes or ears if need be). I usually want my face slightly propped up from any pillows and such, since I don't wanna feel the warmth of my breathing, so a floppy pillow that's easy to mold is good for that.
  • Do you dream in first person view or in third person view or do your dreams not involve you at all most of the time? Does your dream self look like you?
I always seem to dream in third person view and I never look like me. Once I looked like Tom Selleck! I had a fabulous stache! I was also a cop. 
I've been curious about the statistics on the "viewing modes" people have in their dreams. I've also been pondering on whether how you see yourself in your dreams could be in some cases connected to the body image issues a person may have, or perhaps a reflection on how accustomed to consuming TV shows, movies, games and other media a person is, since in those media you are often the outside viewer, relating to a character (though first person view is pretty common in games. But there are many other factors to consider here, from game time to the immersivity of the game). Maybe both. Maybe neither! I'd totally check out a research article on this. Even seeing mere statistics on how many see themselves in first person view vs third person view vs not at all would be neat.
  • If all the chocolate Easter animals came to life, craving human flesh, how would you handle that? (I know you just thought about eating them all. I know. But would you eat a chocolate bunny that's been eating people? WOULD YOU? Or would you maybe figure out something else. Would that something else work? I have provided only poorly defined monsters! You must go on without me!)
I am with Millie on this one: Melting. I would melt them. ( I would not eat them though. I can't imagine chocolate mixed with human flesh and blood tastes that great. And I just don't love chocolate enough. xD ) 
A friend of mine theorized that what if these creatures become more like actual living creatures as they feast and that's why they crave human flesh in the first place. Like a messed up Pinocchio scenario. Therefore after a certain point you wouldn't be able to melt them. But that doesn't make sense, you know, like chocolate animals coming to life obviously does, so I'm just gonna side with the melting option here. (Also, even if they became more fleshy as they eat we could just set up some serious heaters near the place they spawn from, if we knew the location. You know, get them while they're weak!)

And even more questions for bloggers!
- What are your plans for the summer?
- What do you have on your walls? Any plans for switching it up?
- What would you love to buy online right now?
- Tell us about a neighbor/roommate you dislike(d), what did they do?

Thursday, April 16, 2015

BEDA...something?: An attempt at procrastination

I completely forgot about my turn to blog. And then I decided I wanted to procrastinate from my ever increasing mound of work, so I figured I would do it now. Even though it's not my day, but then again, we've mostly failed quite spectacularly at the whole blog "everyday" business. 

Nonetheless, here goes. 

  • Where are you right now?
Nowhere. Everywhere. Somewhere. 

  • What are you doing? Are you working? Are you studying?
I am a corporate slave. 

  • How is work?
It's fun and challenging. It's tiring. It's also a lot of bullshit. 

  • WHAT IS WORK?
It is what I do to fill my weekdays because it is socially unacceptable for me to survive off my parent's money and use my time to scroll through the internet. But to be more specific, I do talent assessments for selection and development purposes in corporations. I.e. I play with personality testing, observe people and judge them. 

  • ARE WE ADULTS YET?
I've come to terms that adults are simply people who have figured out how to pretend very well. Adulthood is a lie. But I will continue to believe that when I become an adult, I will have infinite wisdom. My wisdom remains very much finite. So.. no, not yet. 

  • And tell me what you're obsessed with at the moment.
Getting as much sleep as remotely possible. 

  • Any big plans for the next few months?
Continue to survive. Apply for post-grad. Try not to get fired. 

  • What makes you feel nostalgic?
90s music. 

  • What are you reading?
The Honest Truth About Dishonesty: How we lie to everyone -- Especially Ourselves by Dan Ariely. It's pretty good. We're all liars, and that's pretty much it. 

  • Apples or Oranges?
Apples. always. Except when it comes to phones. 

  • What appliance purchases have you been considering?
I've been needing to buy a new microwave since mine died a while ago. They're quite magical. 

  • How many pillows do you sleep with and do you have a specific order you pile them in? What is your system?
Too many. Like.. 5. As long as they take up more than 50% of the space on my bed, they're good. I enjoy feeling cocooned by pillows. 

  • If all the chocolate Easter animals came to life, craving human flesh, how would you handle that? (I know you just thought about eating them all. I know. But would you eat a chocolate bunny that's been eating people? WOULD YOU? Or would you maybe figure out something else. Would that something else work? I have provided only poorly defined monsters! You must go on without me!)
I would probably still eat them. Chocolate is chocolate. But my questions would be if this be worse than the zombie apocalypse? Does this count as a zombie apocalypse?  Oh I might carry a blow-drier around. Melt them as they come. Would that work? 
  • Do you dream in first person view or in third person view or do your dreams not involve you at all most of the time? Does your dream self look like you? 
This is too difficult a question and requires too much thinking. I sleep. That's the most important part. 


And that was a wall of answers to questions I just wanted to answer so I wouldn't have to look at emails. Who will read this? Who knows? Should there be more questions? Of course there should be. 

  • If you have to eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
  • Would you rather be deaf or blind? 
  • How are you? 
Cheerio. 

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

BEDA #14 Toronto

Yesterday was my writing day. Instead of writing a thing I thought I'd let you guys tag along on an adventure through Toronto with myself and two of my friends. Of course I failed to take into account the editing time of said video production... So I'm coming to you all a day late.

But here it is:


In this video we wander around Kenzington Market, China Town, the St Lawerence Market and the Toronto Aquarium. 

Enjoy!

Saturday, April 11, 2015

Beda #?: Mia is Out of Ideas, Thanks Universe for People's Questions

  • Where are you right now?
Back at home, under my blanket, pretending the world isn't a thing and my butt isn't feeling oddly cold.
  • What are you doing? Are you working? Are you studying?
I'm pretending I am but a blanket roll, a creature of the bed. I live in bed, all I know is bed. What is study? What is job?
  • How is work?
I don't have one of those things. Also, blanket roll.
  • WHAT IS WORK?
LEAVE ME ALONE I AM BUT A SIMPLE BLANKET ROLL
  • ARE WE ADULTS YET?
CRIES
  • And tell me what you're obsessed with at the moment.
- CSI: Cyber and how bad it is. I swear, if we do a podcast episode, that is what I will talk about. I am determined.
- Dragon Age. No, I am still not over Inquisition feelings, I am going through it for a second time, and I am almost through Dragon Age 2 now as well. I have my characters and by gum I have my headcanons!
- Characters by my friend and I and the related dumb art we make.


  • Any big plans for the next few months?
Absolutely none unless you count constant anxiety, then I have so many plans you guys!

  • What makes you feel nostalgic?
Horses, dinosaurs, cartoons, the smell of sculpey, 80s-90s music...many things! 

But let's talk about 90s music because I've been going through these humongous Spotify playlists for what songs were popular in Finland in the 90s. This because I was making an ultimate playlist for a character of mine and I more or less arbitrarily decided that, though there would be 80s music on it, her playlist would be predominantly gross 90s music. 

The thing is, though I remember the melodies of many 90s songs upon hearing them, I can't actually remember their names, rather lone who performed them...or how the lyrics go. So that is why I had to go through those humongous playlists to find any songs I recognized by actually listening to them. It took me a really long time to pick through them, even when ignoring a fair share of them.  I think I spent most of the day on this stupid thing! And let me tell you, there were songs that were so 90s that they made me want to physically gag a little. 


  • What are you reading?
I haven't actually been reading much at all for the past month. I guess I've been taking a break. Before that I was mostly trying to read through Fortune's Pawn by Rachel Bach. Well, until I went through the Song of Ice and Fire series in audiobook form. Now that I think about it, that may have been the thing that got me to take a break. Eh hheh heh

I've been thinking about listening to The Disaster Artist by Tom Bissell and Greg Sestero , in which Sestero, who played Johnny, tells about the creation process of everyone's favorite horrible movie, The Room. A while back I was linked to an excerpt of it on youtube (you're welcome, again). Honestly, it sounds pretty amazing. The narrator (Sestero himself) imitates Wiseau so well it's like he's actually there.

After I listened to that excerpt, I had to tell my friend about this book - he loves how awful the movie is and by letting him know of this book's existence, it was like I'd handed him the holy grail of The Room trash talk. I didn't originally end up listening to the book, but today my friend recounted some of the things he found out about the movie-making process through it and, yeah, I think I need to listen to it. It sounds like one heck of a fun book for people who enjoy following a train wreck with amusing narration.


  • Apples or Oranges?
Apples. Although I do like OJ. 
Speaking of juice! I want to tell you that I am considering purchasing a blender. We've never owned a blender because we simply haven't needed one, but for a year or so now both mom and I have been wanting one and the other day we were wistfully sighing about how during the summer we could make smoothies. Oh imagine! A hot summer day and putting in some berries, watermelon, juice and, most importantly, ice, and making a refreshing slushy goodness.

My questions for the next blogger:
- What appliance purchases have you been considering?
- How many pillows do you sleep with and do you have a specific order you pile them in? What is your system?
- Do you dream in first person view or in third person view or do your dreams not involve you at all most of the time? Does your dream self look like you?
- If all the chocolate Easter animals came to life, craving human flesh, how would you handle that? (I know you just thought about eating them all. I know. But would you eat a chocolate bunny that's been eating people? WOULD YOU? Or would you maybe figure out something else. Would that something else work? I have provided only poorly defined monsters! You must go on without me!)



Friday, April 10, 2015

BEDA #8 Sarah's Questions.

So my BEDA post comes to you guys TWO DAYS LATE!

On Wednesday I had the fleeting thought that today was my day and then promptly got distracted by doing absolutely nothing at all.

I feel like an imposter posting here now. I'm no longer a student, but what does that make me? An adult? A writer? An editor? I don't know. But the more I think about it the more I want to crawl back into the uncomfortable cocoon that were the essays and exams of my BA.

I say this now, but if I had to go back and do it again... THEY'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE!


Seeing as I've come into this post with no topic planned, I figure I'll just answer the questions Sarah posted.... Here goes nothing

  • Where are you right now?
I'm currently at work. I'm currently staring out into the production room. It's quiet so I can get away with writing this. 
  • What are you doing? Are you working? Are you studying?
I'm doing a lot of things actually! I'm still working on the book review website/youtube channel, I'm attempting to do NaNoWriMo this month but am failing spectacularly. I'm working on another pick your path youtube thing and I'm editing a bi-weekly podcast. So lots of things.
  • How is work?
I work at a print company and it's pretty cool. I mainly do the reception stuff but I've been starting to do AV editing. It's lots of fun. I went downtown last weekend to stare at the one movie poster I helped work on. It was a scary moment to realize that I'm actually somewhat legitimate now (see the opening pre-amble about my miniature identity crisis).
  • WHAT IS WORK?
SEE PREVIOUS ANSWER
  • ARE WE ADULTS YET?
NEVER.
  • And tell me what you're obsessed with at the moment.
Obsessions are and aren't limited too:
- Reading Memoirs. Don't ask me, I've just been devouring them. 
- Tolkien. I've been a resurgence. I'm drowning in the Tolkien Tag on tumblr.
- Organizing my tumblr, I need to start tagging my stuff. I'm super bad at that.

So that's my life in a nutshell right now. I hope everyone is is doing well. 

MY QUESTIONS for the next victim poster:
  • Any big plans for the next few months?
  • What makes you feel nostalgic?
  • What are you reading?
  • Apples or Oranges?

Monday, April 6, 2015

BEDA #4

Oh hello!

So in addition to doing BEDA with you lovely folks, I was going to attempt VEDA and revive my dead youtube channel.  However, the first day I had a total of 2 hours to practice, record, edit, and upload a video, so much like this blog post it was late.  But if you would like to see the final product I'll put it at the bottom.  It's a cover of the Velvet Underground and Nico's "These Days," which I already love but am especially fond of because of its use in Wes Anderson's film "The Royal Tenenbaums."

I am currently sitting in my last quarter of Music History and listening to a glorious Ravel orchestral arrangement of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.  The speakers are really pumped up today, so every time there's a bass drum roll or blast of brass my ears revel in glee at the low frequencies.  There's so much dramatic cymbal that every two measures seems like an important event in the music, but really it's all important and beautiful.  Then the piece ends and I remember what we discussed in class last week about the composer's life.  Mussorgsky came from a pretty wealthy family in Russia, but by the time he was 22 lost basically everything and became a civil servant to support himself.  He joined a group of rebellious artists who opposed the tsarist regime, and fell into a lot of bad habits, including copious amounts of drinking.  Penniless and an alcoholic, he died in a military hospital a week before his 42nd birthday. For a visual representation:

               Young Mussorgsky                                         A week before death Mussorgsky

                 

However this, he wrote tons of really epic works such as Pictures at an Exhibition, which is an important work in the pianist repertoire, as well as Night of Bald Mountain, which inspired a super creepy animation in Disney's Fantasia.  Also, apparently Michael Jackson dug him: Michael Jackson does Mussorgsky

Yay learning!

Anyway looking forward to what Sarah already mentioned as well as interesting tidbits about your fields :)

Le video:

Thursday, April 2, 2015

BEDA #1: BEDA #3

Hello my dear friends, I suck. It's already April 2nd. BUT I have a somewhat good excuse because I'm currently working the night shift in the emergency department which means that I go there at 22:00 and come back sometime between 03:00 and 06:00 which means that I'm sleeping most of the day and so on and so forth and what have you. I didn't manage to blog during the day and now it's already too late and it actually really doesn't matter. Please note that I'm in a post shift delirious stage, so what I'm writing might not make sense.

Me right now.

Last time we blogged was BEDA 2014 and we didn't even manage to finish that. I have to admit that I had to google our blog address because I kicked it out of my bookmarks! Shame!

So for this BEDA - may it be more successful than last BEDA - I hope to find out:
  • Where are you right now?
  • What are you doing? Are you working? Are you studying?
  • How is work?
  • WHAT IS WORK?
  • ARE WE ADULTS YET?
  • And tell me what you're obsessed with at the moment.
Alrighty then. Sarah > bed.