Procrastination: UVA Edition

I am back to my procrastination ways.

Arrived at the library at 1:30pm. Switched from reviewing Bio to working on 7-page Herodotus paper at 4:00pm. It is currently 6:02am and I have one page completed. The paper is due tomorrow today at 1:00pm.

ASPCA; White Knuckles by OK Go

Ok, another installment in my music list. I think I'm just going to copycat iTunes a bit and call this series "Gee.Ay.'s Discovery Download." As in, I discover, and you should download. Or, in actuality, since I don't plan to become a prolific blogger and like keeping it more as a personal journal, it's more, I discover, I downloaded, and now I won't forget about it. Maybe ten years from now I can come back to his humble blog and rediscover amazing music that had become dusty over the years. That would be ideal.

So now for the next installment.
I *doubt* I'll ever forget about OK Go, since I love them so. I'm mainly posting the next video for its awesomeness. The song("White Knuckles")'s great too, but I want to focus on the video. Basically, the band hired out some rescue dogs and trained them and now are promoting the ASPCA. Clearly they know the way to this girls heart.
If anyone does read this post, please please please find some extra cash in your heart and buy the video for your personal computer pleasure. They're donating the net proceeds to help even more rescue doggies.

Now, finally, here's my newest discovery download:

Two Weeks by Grizzly Bear

Next song is for my ongoing list of awesome music that I've recently discovered and that everyone should know. Clearly I need to come up with a better description and name. But not now. Because now I just want to post this.

Before you listen, I recommend watching it on mute so that you can be creeped out and possibly scarred for life like I just was. (My roommate is sleeping. I am awake and procrastinating.) I had no idea what the music video was like; I always got an artsy naturey vibe when I listened to the song. I guess I got the artsy part right...but definitely not the 'splodey bug-eyes one.



I actually discovered this song last semester. I can't *exactly* remember how, but I was basically obsessed for a week and then it kind of faded into the obscurity of my giant itunes library. Then itunes reminded me of its loveliness on shuffle today. Gotta love the rare times when it takes a break from constantly bringing forth your most embarrassing tunes and dusts off a fun gem instead.

BFP Bullet Fucking Points & AFP Amanda Fucking Palmer

Holy crapola. I'm getting behind on updating again. Quickly:

-UVA so far is working out lovelely.

-My roommate is pretty awesome.
--Sidenote: although my roomie last year was pretty awesome too, she was kind of antisocial. And I'm slowly realizing that just chillin with her alone together in our dorm is basically the reason it took me forever to make friends last year.

-Expanding off the sidenote sorta, having a doorstop to keep our dorm door open is THE BEST THING. Seriously. I know half the hall pretty well now.

-Already visited NoVA for the bf and Mason friends. It was quite successful and the drive was under 2 hours. Good: I can go up there often like cake. Bad: I'll now being going up there so often the gas money will be killa cake.

-ONE MONTH UNTIL BOSTON
--Sidenote: Have I mentioned this? The bf and I bought tix to fly to Boston for Amanda Fucking Palmer in Cabaret and Amanda Fucking Palmer's Late-Night Fucking Cabaret. His parents used their points to get us a hotel. It's going to be so fucking awesome. Did I also mention that this will make me literally go broke? I've been saying I've been broke for a while, since I have no job, but that was just figuratively, since I have no job. Now it will be literally. But it shall be the most fun going broke I will likely ever experience. Fuck yes.

UM...YES. Ms Palmer beckons and I come.

Read that as you see fit.

JGL hitRECord Natural Woman

Have I mentioned how awesome and amazing Joseph Gordon-Levitt is?
Besides his gorgeous looks and wonderful acting and film choices, he started his own production company spawning from his website hitRECord.org. Anyone can sign up and join, create art, share it, and then anyone else can take your art and add to it. People can just build and build and build off of one another's creativity to produce something even more inspiring and beautiful. Basically, it's genius. It also reminds me of how much I want to be artistic and creative again, a la my Leonardo's Camp and middle school days.
Anyway, the whole point of this blog at 1:46AM on Wednesday morning was to share this adorable video:



Could he be anymore charming? (The answer is, "No")

Tattoo Ideas

Every once in a while, my brain grabs onto this topic and I just start jonesing. My mind gets focused for once. All on beautiful, expensive tattooing. I won't be able to think of anything else. I get into designs, placement, research, etc.
I'm in one of those funks now.
I have two AMAZING ideas. One new, one old.
Old: one of Louis Wain's schizophrenia-induced kaleidoscope cats
My favorite is "Gouache"

I chose to research Louis Wain for my final big senior project/presentation last year. His story is as fascinating as his artwork, and I return to its beauty often.
This tattoo would be very inspirational for me. It would remind me of Louis Wain's life, and thus, how no matter how difficult and dark life becomes, there will always be art, creativity, passion, and beauty in the world.

New: M.C. Escher

I've loved M.C. Escher ever since my grandmother gave me a book about him. Recently however I've been sort-of "re-discovering" his artwork through my ever-changing desktop wallpaper. Now that I'm home, I remembered that book, and frantically searched for it. So far, no go. I expected it to be on my bookshelf like it was for so many years, but it's gone. Tomorrow I plan to scourge the entire house.
For the tattoo, I was thinking of one of his classic tessellations.
I love this particular example because of the shape. It's just a few birds that loosely fill a circle. The most classic of his designs taper into points that I feel wouldn't fit a body space very elegantly. To elaborate on body space, if I got both, I was thinking that "Gouache" would go on my inner arm and then I'd have to take samples of Escher's work and form them together so that the birds could flow/cascade on my side, like following the natural contours created by my ribcage.

Though I'm still not positive though about which M.C. Escher art piece I would choose. This is why I wanted to find and consult my old book. I love so many of his designs, I know it will be difficult.
Oh and I wouldn't just get an Escher tattoo solely because of it's beauty. It would commemorate my grandmother- she would never want me to get a tattoo completely devoted to her (i.e. face, name). This "commemoration" is fitting because she gave me that book (obviously) and because she was always introducing me to art. She loved going to museums and seeing art exhibitions, and I loved her and I miss her every day, and I wish I hadn't been so obstinate in my young age.
You can probably tell that I'm beginning to get ramble-y. It's late in the night and thinking of my grandmother stirs many thoughts and emotions, rendering me linguistically useless.

I think I was able to remember and put down most of my thoughts about these tattoos. Finding an artist I trust enough to transcribe them onto my flesh will be the most difficult step though... But I have plenty of time, as dictated by my bank account and unemployment.


My poorness plus this new frenzy has REALLY got me dying for a job now. Maybe spring semester? We'll see.

First Semester Friends Please?

Move-in at UVA is a week from tomorrow. Ugh.
I'm really not looking forward to it. My first semester at Mason was quite awful (socially, not academically), so I'm basically dreading this first semester at my new school. I'm just not good at making friends anymore. Well...I'm not good at pushing myself to make friends. It's a lot of work for potentially little payoff. I'm praying begging hoping that fortune favors me this time and everything just comes together like it seemed to do with my hometown friends and their schools.
Pretty pretty please?

Oh and my class schedule is a mess. I'd also love for that to come together sometime soon.

I joke about sex because it's funny when you're frightened

New series, but not an original idea.
I just uploaded a bunch of new music to my itunes after raiding the bf's cds. Also now that I'm back at home for a couple of weeks I'll be getting some new music from the family as well. So. I've decided to highlight some of my favorite gems that I've discovered while attempting to listen and learn this new awesome music.

First up, The Dresden Dolls. I made a new car mix cd for my drive home yesterday (so glad I did, that was a nightmare) and I knew I wanted a fast-paced Dresden Dolls song on there because 1) they fit the theme of the cd and 2) I didn't want the whole mix to be music I already knew by heart.
I had "Recently Added" playing while I packed and cleaned and this particular song I kept returning to. Then I actually listened to the lyrics and was amazed that Amanda Palmer managed to make rape slightly funny. That is quite an accomplishment.

"Lonesome Organist Rapes Page Turner" by The Dresden Dolls:


Love it for the fast pace, and the added quirks of tone changes and screamy-gasp things. And the lyrics of course, here are samples of my favorites from the song (besides the title of the post, kinda):
"I joke about death because it's funny when you're frightened"
"I doubt we would be anywhere without your gift for keeping truth and consequence from meeting"

Amazing Canceled TV

Look at me! I'm updating just a couple of days later! (Let's see if I can keep this up, HA!)

Six Amazing TV Shows That Were Canceled Prematurely:

Veronica Mars
buzzwords: mysteries, witty, noir, smartass

Arrested Development
buzzwords: absurd, quotable, cool-cred, illusions

Pushing Daisies
buzzwords: colorful, pie, Chenoweth, zombies (technically)

Party Down
buzzwords: hilarious, amazing cast, overlooked
Freaks and Geeks
buzzwords: young, realistic, 80's
Firefly
buzzwords: space, cowboys, Whedon

So if you haven't seen any of these shows, clearly you're missing out and you must fix that immediately. I mean, c'mon, it's the end of summer. What else are you going to do? Plus, you know that each of these shows don't have many seasons (VMars and AD win with 3 each, 2 for both "PD"s, and 1 for F&G and Firefly), therefore you'll be finished and begging for more in a jiffy.

Hmm next I think I could do a list of overlooked, amazing shows that are close to being canceled... Well that'd be more fun than studying. Seems like all my blog posts have spawned from my procrastination issues. Oh chuckle.

Whoops Happenings

Oy. Once again I've failed to update this thing. A LOT has happened since the last post, in which I was stressing over my final for the first session of summer classes. Now, here I am about to begin stressing over the final of the second (and last) session of my summer class.
I think the best way to cover the events between the first final exam and the last final exam is to make a list. Yay lists!

Happenings:

• I passed my summer class with a B-! Yeehaw!
  
• I am no longer eligible to be an innocent virgin sacrifice
• Due to the above bullet, I contracted an annoying UTI. But I sought meds for it, and they were free, score!
• I went home for about a week in between classes and had a grand ol' time that included lots of brownies, purple hair, and busch gardens
• One of my besties and her bf (who is the male version of me. don't worry, its not weird. kinda) came to visit me at school and we had the best zoo trip EVAR. Seriously, the animals were strangely active doing random things
• I attended Orientation at UVA and fucked up the side of my car in a parking garage

I think that about covers it. I promise I'll try to do more updates. I just need to remember, since its my gorram blog, I'm allowed to do short, random posts (aka half-assed posts) and that will make me feel better about hardly posting personal life-centric things.