On videos

There's this guy, Kool Keith, who is an "Animator/Digital Artist." He's also our neighbor and friend. So I was checking out his website(s) which are jam-packed with interesting...stuff. This is no amateur stuff, people. I'm talking videos, websites, photos, animation. Everything. Good stuff.

So I was looking at his videos, and there's this particular one of sights in Hong Kong that I really like. Watch it now before you read on. Go to video #2 (titled "pause") and click on "view project" on the left-hand corner.

Now watch Lexia's video of New York. (By the way, you should really explore both of these websites, even though Lexia hasn't finished hers yet.)

The methods that the different perspectives of these two cities are conveyed were really interesting to me. Makes me want to psychoanalyze things. Or people. Keith went more for a depiction of the movement of the busy city of Hong Kong, while Lexia went more for the structural, concrete images of New York. Both focused on the vibrance of the cities, and the music added to each was completely different but evoked similar emotions. (Maybe they're both in minor keys? I don't really think so, though.) Lexia's video gave off an innocence or quiet reflection, but Keith's, though completely different in style, definitely emits similar, resonating tones. So basically, I'm trying to say that to be so structurally different, these videos are oddly similar and relay an almost wistful reminiscence of each of the cities.

Sorry folks, that would have been more eloquent if it wasn't 4:30 AM and I was still capable of coherent thought.

Names of Boys Lexia and I Could Never Date

1. All letter-dot-letter-dot names, such as D.J., T.J., P.J., J.D., J.T., etc. This includes the phonetic spelling of these names, for instance, Deejay.

2. All -nolds (or any variation), such as, but not limited to, Arnold, Ronald, Donald.

3. Poindexter.

4. Certain one-syllable names, such as Bill, Bob*, Ted, Fred. You get the point.

5.* Pallindrome names. (Is "Bob" the only one?)

6. Dick. Enough said.

7. Extremely foreign/ethnic names like Jean Claude, Salvador, Gio, Pierre, Hans or Franz.

8. Jesus (pronounced hay-soos).

9. Any guy whose last name rhymes with my first name and who is a potential marriage candidate: (Lexia) Dexia or (Lauren) Boren.

10. Double-name names like Billy Bob, Bobby Joe, Billy Joe, etc.

Who says we're picky?

What exactly is in a name? To find out more about the implications of naming, like, google it or something.

Don't get me wrong.

The city doesn't suck. I really enjoy the giant cottonwood tree outside my window. (Glorified weed.)

Exodus

You kids out there in cyberspace (namely Sara and Ian, the readers of my blog) will be glad to know that, yes, I am alive.

I got in last night from out of town. I went to Hawaii with my family and each of us kids got to bring along a friend. I brought Genevieve the Brit, Parker brought Andy the Frat Brother, and Tyler brought Corey the Country Boy. Needless to say, it was an interesting mix of people. It was an awesome trip though, and coming back to the city was really, I mean, really difficult. I'll be listening to Jack Johnson, Iz Kama-whatever, acoustic slack key ballads and Bob Marley for months. (Yeah, I do realize that reggae is not from the Pacific, thanks. But island music is island music to a certain extent.) In fact, according to Bob at this very moment, "Everything's gonna be alright." I'll make it my mantra until I get out of the back-to-reality funk.

In totally unrelated news, if anybody knows of a job opening, let me know. I'm looking for another part-time job for the summer. (Actually, I guess it's definitely related to the back-to-reality funk.)

So, no, I didn't meet the man of my dreams and stay in Hawaii, dang it.

I've come to a huge conclusion, though. Concrete and steel cities, while efficient and nice in small intervals, is not what the core of a man wants or needs. Yeah, the amount of things you can do in a city is great, but the city itself? I don't care if the buildings were disguised as huge trees or mountains, man craves nature. Man craves sunsets and waves and breezes across pastures. Man craves the sounds of nature--the wind through the trees, the insects at night. This city life is hollowing. It has the potential to lend itself to a very empty and stifling existence. And right now, I feel like I'm struggling against that inevitability. Everything's gonna be alright.