it hit me like a ton of bricks. inspiration. my next topic is ready to go.
i was on my way to the restroom in the library today and once i entered, the room went dark. pitch black. i would not have been able to see my hand if i put it right in front of my face. i slightly bent my legs and outstretched my arms while my eyes adjusted to the dimness. slowly, i moved around the edge of the room just as a young child who cannot swim clings to the side of a pool. if i strayed just a little bit, i would have drowned in the darkness.
just how important are the senses? we rely on them to carry out simple tasks to the point of them being almost second nature to us. it got me to thinking, which sense could i live without? additionally, could i live without a sense and which one would i absolutely need? from my quick episode above, sight and touch are clearly the two most important senses. ruling out farfetched situations like, well if you didn't have taste and you ate poison, you would die so taste is the most important or if you couldn't smell and you inhaled poison, you would die so smell is the most important, sight and touch are needed to survive. what about music? could i really give that up? it's a scary thought, no doubt about it. however, i believe that touch is the most important sense. it allows us to continue on as human persons and without it, our race would come to an end.
do we realize how our senses can creep into our speech and play a role in our means of communication? do you see what i'm saying? ..... allow me to repeat, do you see what i'm saying? i hear you, loud and clear. something doesn't feel right. keep in touch. something smells fishy. victory is so close, i can taste it. really? you can taste victory? i bet it tastes good.
see ya later.
-jdv
Sense and Sense-ability
Running on E
i am as busy as a bee, neck deep in books and reading. literal devices aside, i am exhausted. so many people want my attention... peter the great and louis xiv want me to read about their involvement in imperialism, darwin wants me to read about his theory on natural selection, John wants me to read, well, the gospel of John, and so on. please, fellas, give me a break. give me a break. break me off a piece of that kit-kat bar.
snicker if you want, but time is off the essence and it's hard to give equal attention to each. by far the most important material i am reading right now deals with the DAT: biology, gen chem, and organic chem. in that case, good ol' darwin will just have to wait his turn.
other than that, i've been doing well. no adventures or unique thoughts, recently. i know, pretty boring, but i haven't been inspired yet. one thing that i am always thinking about in the back of my mind is that i want to go to the philippines when i graduate for a quick vacation. i went after my middle school graduation, not after my high school, and want to go back after my college graduation.
i will expound on this more at a later date. i need to get back to reading.
one thing i will say is that i am slowly building a dislike for mechanical pencils. i mean, i press the button for the lead to come out and try to write, but it goes back in. why tease me like that?? why? it's not right.
-jdv
O sister, where art Thou
we've all heard of the popular book Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. why did the book come to mind? i'm glad you asked.
i work at a dental office, and primarily, i work with five or six female coworkers. due to hurricane ike, the office i worked at was closed and so we had to merge our saturday with another nearby office. at that location, there were another five or six female coworkers. so there were around eleven girls, myself, and the dentist, who happened to be my brother at work.
oh, but james, stop whining like a little child and be serious. you're surrounded by girls... isn't that your dream?
good one. my dream, really? that's not a stretch, at all.
but seriously, today was quite a learning experience. first off, i absolutely enjoyed the company. you have to understand, i wasn't blessed with the chance of having an older or younger sister. i don't see my coworkers as "workers," but rather as, for lack of a better word, "sisters." we joke, we laugh, we talk.
Kids Say the Darndest Things? sure, but i think a group of girls say and do equally, if not more, funny and ridiculous stuff. two examples: a girl brought a huge bag of old clothes, shoes, and accessories she was going to trade into a clothing store. so each girl went through the whole bag commenting on each thing, and when i say each girl and each thing, that's exactly what i mean. second example: when we were closing the store, they talked about hair for the last fifteen minutes. then somehow, they all agreed to show up to work the next day without doing anything to their hair in the morning. just a shower and towel dry. then this part cracked me up... and if there was an "emergency," a girl could flat iron her hair during lunch break.
it's something else... the quirkiness. i wonder if girls think the same about guys doing similar weird stuff, like talk about football or look at cars. who knows?
i do plan on giving the work i mentioned at the beginning of this post a quick read through and evaluating it myself. i personally think that we're not so different. every person, regardless of sex, wants to be appreciated, wants to feel a sense of comfort, wants to be loved. it is this natural desire that makes us human, and ultimately, similar.
-jdv
Lost in Translation
i'm lovin' it. me encanta. c’est ça que j’m. نا أحبه (ana uħibbuhu). ich liebe es.
we've all been to McDonald's and seen this advertising slogan, which i think is pure genius. they have globally appealed to the people by breaking a barrier that is rarely broken, that is, language. i don't know a shade of German, but i know what "ich liebe es" means.
using this notion as a diving board, i will jump into my pool of thought. i recently visited the home of one of my best friends who is of the Arabic background (hey Laura and Leila!). the major thing that caught my ear like a good beat (listen to this and I double dog dare you to not bob your head. it's impossible.) was the means of communication in the household.
in contrast to my household where english is spoken between family members, their native tongue is the primary language between theirs. i was very wary to say anything to not let them think that i was a few sandwiches short of a picnic. however, i was not completely lost. in a way, i could sort of read between the lines... the expressions on the faces, the tone of voice, and the gestures. these "context clues" were my aid. i may not have known precisely what was said verbatim, but i knew the overall message behind it.
there may not be a universal language, but there are universal context clues to every language (except the japanese, they just sound like they're pissed about everything: first Godzilla, then atomic bombs. you know what, i don't blame them. jk.). but seriously, the way in which a mother lovingly addresses her child is constant, no matter what country you're in or what language is being spoken.
thank you. gracias. salamat. شكرا لك (shukran). danke.
-jdv
special thanks to laura, leila, maria, and family and extended family, for without them, this post would not be possible.
Weathering the storm, part Two
Picking up from where I left off:
3:30 PM: I step out for a bit to see how it's like outside. It actually feels awesome. I really want to go for a quick bike ride, but on second thought, I don't want the scene from ET to become a reality.
4:45 PM: I guess it's back to watching the news. Is there really nothing else on? This is getting kind of boring. I mean, they didn't even broadcast Jeopardy. At this point, I know this is serious.
5:52 PM: First power surge. We lose it for a couple seconds and it's back. Crazy to think how reliable we are on electricity. Our sense of taste depends on it to keep our food from going rotten, our sense of sight depends on it for vision. Benjamin Franklin, what would we do without you? We thank you for your theories on electricity, bifocals, and being the poster child of $100 bills.
6:01 PM: Take a nap. I'm hurricaned out.
7:14 PM: I hear some scraping across the yard and think possibly some debris was flying around. Nope. Our neighbor from across the yard is mowing his lawn. I really don't know what to think. Either A) he's insane or B) he's a visionary.
7:35 PM: Wedding crashers is on?!? Sweet. This'll be a good break from the hurricane. I love this movie. I can't believe it's already on cable now, has it been that long?
7:36 PM: Check wikipedia. Wow, 2005? I guess it has been that long. I am humbled.
8:00 PM: MTV is doing a Top Pop group show? What is this? Mario Lopez? Circular stage? 3 judges? Do my eyes deceive me? This looks like an America's Best Dance Crew clone. Hmm, if there were a way to mute their voices, then it would be like America's Best Dance Crew.
8:18 PM: You just knew that McDonald's commercial where the people start dancing with their food would come on, huh?
9:13 PM: Hear from friends on how they're doing. Some are in Austin, some have decided to brave the storm staying in Liberty, some are playing Monopoly, some are playing chess, and some are just watching TV. To each, their own.
That's good enough for now. I figure the next couple of hours are going to be spent just waiting for the storm and that's boring. At least this day was spent with my parents...
Every cloud has a silver lining. Too soon? I don't think so.
-jdv
Weathering the storm, part One
First off, I think a sense of humor is going to be needed in the next couple of days. I acknowledge the severity of the current situation so any jab at the news is purely sarcastic. In saying that, I figured I would experiment with this blog and try something new. It's sort of an up-to-the-minute what-I-am-thinking type of entry so hopefully it's entertaining. If not, I will never ever write another entry like it.
11:38 AM: Wake up to my mom yelling on the phone to relatives. Apparently, ike has not only taken over TV in the greater Houston area, but also around the world.
12:01 PM: Flip on the news to see the latest ike information. Winds, gusts, eye, storm surge... if I had a nickel every time each one of these words is said...
12:11 PM: CNN has a piece about McCain/Palin. So wait, let me get this straight, there's other stuff going on in the world besides ike?
12:16 PM: Flip back to local news weather. I find it ridiculous how there is that one person, plus camera crew, who is asked to stay at the shore. Something like that scene in Deep Impact where Tea Leoni, who ironically plays a reporter, is at the shore with her dad could happen.
12:33 PM: Our living room is a virtual arboretum. I had to bring in plants from our backyard into the living room. I wonder if we'll get some kind of oxygen poisoning from the sheer number of plants in the house.
12:45 PM: First mention of a freighter out at sea and how they can't rescue it. I hope they're okay.
1:00 PM: Eat a dish from the smorgasbord that is available to me. I think for the last couple of hours and for the next few, my mom will be cooking nonstop. Maybe this hurricane thing isn't a bad thing.
1:11 PM: Neighbor comes over and tell us that there's a parking garage that he works at and that we should put our cars in there. My mom and I heed the advice and do so.
1:12 PM: Turn on the car and the radio is playing "A Bay Bay," by Hurricane Chris. Wow. Not only has ike taken over TV, but he's also moved his sphere of influence to the radio. Amazing.
1:44 PM: "Certain death." Things don't look too good. But then again, things didn't look good when we had an ice storm and that turned out to be okay. I remember thinking at the time that people from the northeast probably laughed at us for having a "freeze warning." They probably sunbathe in that "ice storm" we had.
2:01 PM: Take a shower. Don't you hate when there's a piece of hair on the bar of soap, and you have to hold the soap at the right angle just so it washes off and then you think it works but when you turn the bar of soap over, the same piece of hair is there? Very frustrating. To all you luffa or loofah users, I cannot sympathize with you simply because you cannot sympathize with me.
This is all for now. From the title, you can safely conclude that there will be a part two hopefully coming at you soon. Maybe the family will watch some movies tonight. I suggested either The Hurricane starring Denzel, Twister starring Helen Hunt, or The Perfect Storm with George Clooney.
Stay tuned.
-jdv
Rock you ike a Hurricane
Don't rub your eyes, that's not a typo in the title. I saw Blades of Glory and am fully aware that the correct title is "Rock you like a hurricane," but I believe at this time, my title is more appropriate.
For my west coast, east coast, midwest, and global audience (pretty much anyone not from the south, although why would you want to be from anywhere else?) it's hurricane season once again in our part of the world and the latest terror is hurricane ike.
Hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquakes: all of these are ammunition in the arsenal of our dear mother. Shoot.
To all those in the future path of hurricane ike, our prayers and thoughts are with you. Buckle up or buckle down, whichever one, but be prepared for a bumpy ride.
-jdv
p.s. - if nature is our "mother" and time is our "father", what would their offspring be? Jesus? Just kidding, just some food for thought.
Music to my Ears
I figured I would take a break from the picture blogging and throw in a pictureless post. If you find it boring, then scroll down and see the Tina Fey-Sarah Palin comparison.
Moving on, I have always been meaning to do a blog on music and I finally get my chance. I don't know where to start, honestly. Music is a humongous, gigantic, size-of-the-titanic part of my life. I truly believe that music is the universal language. Who doesn't know the macarena? (Don't be embarrassed, I know the other dance that goes to it.) Who doesn't know artists such as the beatles, michael jackson, madonna? Global icons, to this day.
Music transcends time. I hear the song "I Never Had a Dream Come True" by S Club 7, and I'm back at my 8th grade dance. Kansas' "Carry on Wayward Son," and I'm back in the stands of Strake watching the football game. Anything by the Killers, and college comes to mind. Music, and only music, has this power over me.
Music has also spawned a couple passions of mine, singing and dancing. While I'm mediocre at best on a good day, I keep them away from the public eye. Trust me, it's for your own good. Nevertheless, let me live my life on stage, performing for all of the masses, please? Thanks.
I'd like to close this post with a quote by Aldous Huxley: "After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." Don't only keep your eyes open, dear friends, but also your ears.
Take care.
-jdv
Politics, Schmolitics
First off, I would like to preface this entire blog by saying I am completely ignorant when it comes to politics. Red vs blue, democrat vs republican, elephant vs donkey... I have almost no idea what these things mean and represent. Yes, I know, shake your head in disgust. I have failed as an American citizen, but hey, at least I acknowledge my ignorance. (Big ups to Socrates)
Now, moving on, I've been sucked into the presidential election. I don't follow it religiously, or stand up and applaud after any word or phrase is said, or cry whenever there is a shot of someone else crying on TV, but I'm definitely more involved than I have ever been before. I almost watched all of the democratic national convention, watched Obama's speech later on Youtube, and I currently just finished watching McCain's speech.
Honestly, this whole thing seems like a junior high student council election just placed on the biggest of stages under the brightest of lights. I'm not saying the candidates are mere children; rather, they are great men who deserve the nominations they earned. My point was that the election seems just like a popularity contest, which essentially it is since we, the people, vote for who we think will be best as president. "I will do this... I will do that," say the candidates. How can I be so sure? I must say, however, I do love the play on words that the candidates use against each other, for example Palin said something to the effect of, "Some people use 'change' to promote their careers, while John McCain uses his career to promote 'change.'"
Quick side note: Senator Palin looks kinda like Lynne Spears (mother of Britney and Jamie Lynn Spears), and hey, both their teenage daughters are pregnant. Coincidence? I think not. But more of a lookalike is Tina Fey from Saturday Night Live. Wind back the hands of time for Palin or hit the fast forward button on Tina Fey and change the hair and you got an exact duplicate.
But anyways, I will continue to keep up with politics as much as I can. I honestly don't know how I feel about each candidate yet, more reading and research has to be done by me to become better informed.
In the meantime, hope ya'll enjoy this music (video) by this fella named A.P.T. I wish I knew how to imbed a Youtube video on here directly, but I don't think that's possible. So, in the meantime, here is the link. It's a piece about Obama set to Lil Wayne's "A Milli."
Enjoy!
-jdv
Who is so Real?
For those of you who have no idea who Soreal is, first off, get out from the rock you are currently living under. They are a dance group from Houston (H-town, represent!) who was on the mtv show "america's best dance crew." Unfortunately, they lost and got second place, but personally I think they got robbed, not that I'm biased or from Houston or anything. I could write an entire column about their style, but that's boring for you, so head over to mtv.com and watch a few episodes. You just might get hooked.Anyways, a couple of members from Soreal were at the roxy one night and my brother's girlfriend was able to snag one of them before they left. From the signature, it looks like andrew "goodfoot's" John Hancock, who is the member in the front and center of the picture.
I feel like a kid at show-and-tell. Remember that? When you would bring what you thought at the time was the COOLEST thing that you had. I think when I was a kid, I brought my Hakeem Olajuwon signed basketball. And now, a Soreal autographed picture. Some things never change.
Oh, if anyone finds those missing puzzle pieces that are scattered throughout my page, you'll get a reward. Not of the monetary nature, more like a pat-on-the-back kind. Thanks!
-jdv
