Self - Evolution

What is it about the human mind that allows it to evolve. I am sure there is some medical answer that would suffice but really think about it. How different are you know then you were 2 years ago, what about 5, or even 10?

I am coming to the point in my life (also known as the college years) when I am so rapidly changing that I wake up constantly with as a different person in some form. I know the biological idea that you are always losing skin flakes or cells or whatever that you are technically a new person but i am talking about something deeper than that. The big difference of me now and 10 years ago is two things. First of all I am making the decisions on my own accord and I don't get easily persuaded by the media or peers. The second difference may be more of wishful thinking, but I feel like I am progressing into a more mature, better self for lack of better words.

The most recent realization has been music. I love music more than a majority of things in life and i could go on describing the power of it and impact on my life, which i intend to do at a later date. But my taste in music has changed so dramatically. And it may be that I am in the middle or my weird indie phase of music, but I like listening to random bands that are more sophisticated lyrically and musically than the all the 'artists' that we daily see paraded around on MTV. Lately I have been listening to the like of blitzen trapper, birdmonster, matt and kim, bombay bicycle club, dr. dog, heartless bastards, and more. But not too long ago it was limp bizkit and whatever the top 10 TRL videos were. I am not trying to put down those artists or people who enjoy them I am just thinking about the self-evolution I have encoutered with music. Not to say I dont enjoy the newer T.I. album or some stuff that blows up in the nation, but overall I have matured with my musical taste for I think the better.

The other big change I have noticed is my emotional reaction to most things. I feel more mature when reacting to things that might have upset me or angered me. I feel like I was so quick to blowing up that I couldnt help anyone with my actions including myself. Now I take things with a grain of salf for sure and realize that I can barely control things that happen around me, and if they don't work out then they don't and that shouldn't effect me as much as it used to. Now i am pretty mellow and the main times I get riled up is during sports because I am still working on toning down the competitive nature sometimes.

I guess that everyone is changing constantly but at the age of 21, it is a lot more rapid and apparent. I have seen a lot of friends come and go and a lot remain depending on how parallel our evolutions are. Some people close to me have changed on the same path as me and some have veered for a path that I do not want to travel. I have changed a lot in the last few years, but I feel like its for the better, but I have a lot more work to do. I didnt really know where this post was going until I started writing and I am sure it could use and edit, but maybe take a few seconds from the day and see if the path you are on and your cruise control didnt tak a wrong turn somewhere.

also i hit 100 views. at least half were mine but i am still taking the victory. WOOT!

Einstein's Elloquent Essay

These are words from the on Albert Einstein, one of the most brilliant minds ever. These words are pretty solid and moving. Just thought i would share with everyone... enjoy


"How strange is the lot of us mortals! Each of us is here for a brief sojourn; for what purpose he knows not, though he sometimes thinks he senses it. But without deeper reflection one knows from daily life that one exists for other people -- first of all for those upon whose smiles and well-being our own happiness is wholly dependent, and then for the many, unknown to us, to whose destinies we are bound by the ties of sympathy. A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving...

"I have never looked upon ease and happiness as ends in themselves -- this critical basis I call the ideal of a pigsty. The ideals that have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty, and Truth. Without the sense of kinship with men of like mind, without the occupation with the objective world, the eternally unattainable in the field of art and scientific endeavors, life would have seemed empty to me. The trite objects of human efforts -- possessions, outward success, luxury -- have always seemed to me contemptible.

"My passionate sense of social justice and social responsibility has always contrasted oddly with my pronounced lack of need for direct contact with other human beings and human communities. I am truly a 'lone traveler' and have never belonged to my country, my home, my friends, or even my immediate family, with my whole heart; in the face of all these ties, I have never lost a sense of distance and a need for solitude..."

Reviews of Movies I Havent Scene

As the unemployed, unwinding, unraveling, unsettled mind roles on i look at the movies out and think that there was a time of better cinematic features, but even so i want to talk about them, so if you clicked here on purpose or on accident, check it out, because you are obviously bored and this will take time.... hell i was.

(Just Going to go through the top box office right now)

UP- I have a special place in my genitals for PIXAR movies and everything they touch gives me a little chub, besides for ratatouille, don't know why just didn't like it. This movie looks hilarious. One side of my mind regrets my days as part of the Boy Scouts, but was actually pretty cool. So i am excited to see the little wilderness explorer screw up the old guy's plans and the dog with the talking collar will most likely be my favorite character. Looks visually stunning as Wall-e and Finding Nemo were.


Night at the Museum 2: Night at the Box Office- this sequel ws inevitable after the economic explosion it's predecessor excountered a couple of years ago. just looks like the same exact story. save the museum from overwhelming itself or something. it did well. i am not going to see it. the imagination and creativity was used on the first one.

Terminator Salvation: With its two main movies before my time and the third one sucking, i didnt know what to think going in. the explosions look cool and christian bale is a sick batman but the terrible reviews it got persuaded me to stay away and it has yet to effect me in anyway with the lack of cooler talk. Maybe if someone else rents it, ill check it out, otherwise i dont see it getting to me.

Star Trek: I have never seen any of the other what 10 movies of years of tv shows, but this one was pretty awesome. I liked the use of lesser known actors and JJ abrams seems to know what he is doing. I am a on the fence fan of Lost, but i like FRINGE a lot. A few too many glare shots for my liking, but finally a plot driven movie that was definitely enjoyable.

Drag Me to Hell: Not a big horror fan and i couldnt get through the snail opening of evil dead. Directed by the same guy as Spiderman 3 right?... ya? ill take a nap or anything else instead thanks.

Angels and Demons: Tom Hanks and his ridiculous hair cut return for the prequel of Da Vinci Code. I thought the TH was a poor cast as Robert Langdon. The first few pages of Demoms talks about his swimming everyday and eldery man possibly like John Hurt from Hellboy. Enjoyed the books but the movie's necessity to have 10 minute monologues every 15 minutes for the people who used the book as a coaster and only bought it to impress their significant other or potential first date wore me down, so i decided to stay away this time.

X-Men Origins-Wolverine: I enjoyed it actually. Hugh jackman reprised the role well and the script was fairly coherent and interesting. They unfortunately ruined Deadpool, cast brilliantly as Ryan Reynolds, at the end of the movie, spoiler alert he sucked at the end, but was cool in the 30 seconds from his scene an hour previously shown in the movie. Curious to see where the take the x-men origins-deadpool movie

Dance Flick: Really?....REALLY? c'mon

Fairly Indie Playlist

Just some random stuff i have been getting into/ have been into for a while. There is some really good stuff and I like sharing it with people and getting them into bands, so here is some songs...


City and Colour - The Girl

Okkervil River - On Tour With Zykos

Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

My Little Pony - Stars

Alexi Murdoch - Orange Sky

Band of Horses - The Great Salt Lakes

Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal

Tokyo Police Club - In A Cave

William Fitzsimmons - If You Would Come Back Home

Wilco - What Light

Rogue Wave - Kicking The HEart Out

Okkervil River - Starry Stairs

Manchester Orchetra - Where Have You Been

City and Colour - Death in a Box

Delta Spirit - House Built for Two

Delta Spirit - Tomorrow Goes Away

Bombay Bicycle Club - Sixteen

Heartless Bastards - Be So Happy

...enjoy

The Video!

Its on youtube and my facebook page. if you go to youtube and type in prodan 27 you should be able to see it. Thanks for caring!

Love and Cheers,

Richard

Hours Until Departure...

As I sit in my room debating whether to watch Rescuers Down Under of Finding Nemo at 3:30 am on the day that I leave Australia, I look back on the time I had here...

I departed on July 13th to a country that I barely knew, to live at a place that I didn't know where it was, with people who I have never heard of before. I leave on November 23rd from a country that I deeply love, from a place that I considered home, with people who have become my second family.

There is no possible way to describe all of my experiences in hundreds of thousands of words. So I am no going to even try. I am just going to say that it was the best decision I ever made and sincerely recomend it to anyone who has a chance.

Thanks to everyone who followed my goings on and asked about my time here. I look forward to seeing all of you over thanksgiving and christas break

Video Coming Soon.

Cheers and Love,
Richard

One Month Left in Australia!

So it is October 23rd in Oz right now and I realized I leave a month from today! It is crazy to think I have been here for three and a half months already. I have experienced so many things and have so many stories that I could spend all week typing and not be able to tell everything.

Just for a couple a recent things. This past weekend, I went to Brisbane for the Australian Mixed Ultimate Frisbee Championships. It was an amazing tournament to say I've played in a nationals. The team I played for, Rubi, was ranked 6th in the tournament, but we ended up getting 17th. It was unfortunate because the team won 5 games and lost only three. However, we just lost the wrong games, losing to two teams who we had beaten a couple of weeks earlier. However the tournament was a great deal of fun, and it was a good atmosphere meeting a bunch of people. The party was also some good fun with a Vegas theme, and made me realize I dont really know what people in vegas wear. So i just threw on a collared shirt and tie and had some fun dancing and what not.

The weekend before that I went to a party and my friend Ali B's house for a frisbee social. There was a talent show and dinner and stuff. His house looks on the harbor and the bridge and it is an amazing sight at night and during the day. I also went to Manly beach which is like half an hour bus and half an hour ferry and went surfing there for the first time in Australia. The waves weren't much but it was a lot of fun surfing and soaking up the sun. It was a definitely reminder or southern california life.

Besides for day to day actions, nothing is really going on besides what I described. My brother, Dave, did crash at my apartment fot the night. We just had a few beers and chilled. It was fun to see him. It has been quite an unbelievable experience these past three and a half months and i can't even begin to think what the last month will bring. This trip has been such a blessing in disguise. From barely deciding to even applying to com to Australia to loving every moment of this trip, I am so happy with my decisions, and thank everyone who encouraged me to go on this adventure, my biggest supporters being my parents.

Thanks everyone for being interested in my goings on and see you all soon.

Love and Cheers,

Richard