Monday, October 29, 2007

Finally Embracing my Nerd-hood

Many of you have already heard, but for those who haven't . . .
I joined the Philosophy Club at school. Yes, that's right. The Philosophy Club. And I love it. I am finally learning to admit, and accept, my nerdiness. My nerd-hood, if you will.

We are designing a Philosophy Club T-shirt (and yes, I will wear it proudly), and a mural which will be painted in the hallway of the Philosophy Department (the idea we're running with is the "dogs playing poker" thing, but with philosophers instead. They will all have a thought bubble.) I am also going on a trip with the club to the American Philosophical Association's Annual conference, in Baltimore or somewhere. We're renting a 12-seater van and driving down, and staying in hostels. We will probably all be wearing our t-shirts :)

In forming the club, we needed at least 15 signatures, so to recruit more students we made some little flyers to put up around school. This is one that our secretary made:


Caption: "Think Outside the Vat - Join the Philosophy Club!"

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Updates . . .

My birthday was October 2nd, so that Friday I has some friends over. I happen to be friends with the most creative cake-maker in the universe, and she made a delicious, scrumptious, simply amazing cake. I play the baritone saxophone, and Hope created this (completely edible!) cake, with a 3D sax (partially modeled after Lisa Simpson's sax) and a ribbon of musical notes wrapping around it. The cake was tasty goodness, and everyone loved it.




Check out more of Hope's "goodies" at A Little Imagination

Speaking of music . . . ok, I got a brand new laptop which actually WORKS, unlike my old amish computer (no offense to any Amish people.) I now have a goal in sight. If i can get composing software on my computer, I vow to myself that I will compose the piece which has been in my soul for so long, and have the Wesleyan University band perform it at one of their concerts. And I would like to conduct it, too, but that's not the important thing.

I was telling a friend the other day how moved I am by music, how it affects me so strongly. I can no longer listen to Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 while i'm driving -- it's too dangerous. I get lost in the music.

I think the only way to describe what I experience is . . . longing. When I listen to that music, especially the piano solo or the giant crescendo in the first movement, it creates this tornado-like thing inside of me, swirling around, vacuuming out reality, and leaving this big empty hole. I feel like I was music, at some point, and am waiting to return to that, return to music. So, it's like my soul is longing, yearning, to be music again. When I hear Rachmaninoff (not sure why he does it to me so well, everytime, that's just the way it is) I am simultaneously full of joy and sorrow. Joy, because i get to experience this music, but sorrow because i am so close to being . . . real.

Anyway, I know this sounds like a bunch of babble, but it makes sense to me. So, there.

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Words Cannot Express...


...How amazing this puppy is.

My sister got a puppy. As you can clearly see, this is by far the most adorable puppy to ever grace this earth. Her name is Puddles - when she settles in your lap, she becomes a little "puddle of dog."

Thank God for puppies.