artist of the day

today's artist: washed out

Today's artist is Washed Out. Washed Out is the stage name of American chillwave artist Ernest Greene.    He currently only has one album "Within and Without" which was released in July 2011.  His music is relaxing, chill and contemplative.  My favorite song off the album is "Eyes Be Closed," with 'Feel It All Around" in a close second.

be lazy today,

hill

What a Good Day Looks Like

To be quite frank with you, today did not start off with a bang.  Even a bump.  It was one of those mornings when you don't know what to wear, you're too lazy to put your contacts in, and the walk to your not-so-favorite morning class in the freezing rain with insufficient protection against the elements simply rubs you the wrong way.  Woof.
This is not a rant to tell you how  bad my day was, but in fact how good it turned out to be....the quality of a day should never be dependent upon what the morning brings.  And I'll tell you why. Sitting here 8 hours later, i can say that my day was filled with jugglers, civil rights (yes, constitutional law class is my favorite), hot chocolate, and letters in the mail.  There was rain, there was laughter, and there was community.  These things seem commonplace in what one might consider a good day, right? Sure.  But today, there was something on top of all of the oranges juggled and marshmallows consumed.  There was life in today.  The people and the moments took priority over being on time for class or reading a couple more paragraphs of the articles you were supposed to have had read by your 12:50.  They took priority over tidy rooms and negativity.  The priority was to live in each moment, period.  And yes this might sound cliche. But honestly, to living in the moment doesn't happen when you're TRYING to do it.  It happens naturally, on a whim, subconsciously.  So really, the days when the time you have is truly cherished and enjoyed, and optimism reigns can sometimes be quite rare. so live it up.

when thoughts run out... poetry comes out.

17 days sitting blue

'cross the room

i barely move

there you are

but i'm here too

sorrows taste like

chewed up food.

see far away

my mind can't stay

i have roles to play

that lead me to

dusted fingerprints

on creased maps

hearts do not obey.

my eyes see stars

yet blurred by cars

and fancy cigars

ash tumble down

longing to choak

on roadmap smoke

it's time to leave this town.

go your own way,

Rach

words of wisdom

this past week was crazy stressful, but i'm proud to say that the indie attic is now panhellenically friendly! ;)


i stumbled upon some buddhist wisdom the other day and thought i would share a few of my favorite quotes:

We live in illusion and the appearance of things. There is a reality. We are that reality. When you understand this, you see that you are nothing, and being nothing, you are everything. That is all.

We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make our world.

To be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent.

What we think, we become.

He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.

Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

happy sunday,

hill

Artist of the Day

I am always taken aback by those moments when music brings two seemingly polar opposite people together in ways neither expected.  I'd heard this song by Trampled by Turtles before, but it's not a habit of mine to watch the all the music videos of my favorite songs. Don't know why. Maybe I should start.  This morning, I was chilling with a good friend of mine - this polar opposite I mentioned before...He pulled up the video for "Wait So Long" and I immediately recognized it.  I was so shocked that he and I would share any music interests - he plays a lot of country, and I play a lot of anything but country.  But still, for some reason, the fact that we both loved this bluegrassy tune took me by surprise.  It was unexpected, but at the same time made so much sense.  This is not only a post for the song of the day, but this doubles as a small tribute to the moments in life when music brings us closer together in ways we should've seen coming, but somehow never expected. 

The "Perfect" Man

So last semester, I came up with the idea of a "husband crush." This differs from the standard "crush" in a pretty big way.  So lets run through the obvious, the "crush" is what you have on the guy in your math class, you know, he is smart, attractive, funny (and by funny, I mean sarcastic for sure), scruffy facial hair, rock climbs and bikes to class. I don't think this kind of guy exists on Westminster Campus but that is irrelevant for this blog post. (but for some reason if you know one of these, I give you full permission to introduce him to me).

So, now on to the "husband crush." This is what happens when you see an old man who would make a wonderful husband.  This man probably has kids and an adorably cool wife. This man is probably your math professor in this hypothetical situation. You can have a husband crush (I am going to stop putting quotes around it because I think you get the point) on your best friend that you will never date because "Mom, he is my best friend, not my boyfriend" or on someone who found a way to be an adult and still be cool.

I was thinking hilarious thoughts about the best and worst husbands on my way back from my math class at 8:10 this morning.  Some ideas I came up with (you can decide if they would be the best or worst) are...

1. George Washington
2. Rambo
3. Gandhi
4. Dave Matthews 
5. Mark Twain
6. Ludwig Van Beethoven
7. James Franco
8. Obama
9. Lewis or Clark (or both!)
10. Bill Murray in Groundhog Day... 

Ah, Men.., 

Rach

The Indieattic

(Imagine Morgan Freeman reading the following)
*In a land before time and space, there was an attic. This attic was known by many yet seen by few.  The inhabitants of the attic are that of an enigma wrapped in a mystery and sealed with ambiguity.  They have been know to lead what one would consider a normal life, without compromising their indieidentity. The wait has been long, rumors have infected like the plague, but one thing is for sure, the time has come to expose the attic to all...*

please do not be too excited, 

Rach

life is a road trip

This picture says it all. At least for my life anyway, but i think it's a pretty good generalization overall.  Over the past semester at the good ole WC, i was feeling completely lost. more lost than i've ever felt before. i don't know if it was a combination of realizing that i'm almost at the halfway point of college, noticing close friendships in high school disintegrate, questioning my faith, broadening my beliefs and morals, or just the mass amount of people around me that seem to have their entire lives planned out. it's hard. it's so hard to feel like you're the only one who doesn't know what to do with their life-but fortunately i have two wonderful roommates who feel the same way, and help me feel comfort in the fact that i don't know what the heck i'm going to school for. 

so this is where i make the analogy that life is a road trip.  my life is a road trip without a GPS; my map hasn't been updated for 20 years; my music is a random collaboration of old and new mixed CDs; the trip is traveled independently and alone. my life doesn't have written instructions and directions about what to do next- i go with the flow and figure out my moves on a daily to weekly basis, but that's the furthest i go. my life always has a tendency to drift back to the old ways: this could mean the basic necessities of life in the sense that i have a love/hate relationship with technology and prefer to act like i live in 1975, or this could be in the sense that i feel nostalgia on a daily basis. my interests and the relationships in my life are randomly collaborated: i don't have a certain "group" of people that i run around with-i'd like to say that i have friends in many different categories; a lot of my "likes" or "dislikes" don't match up with each other-like who else has an obsession with body glitter but hates pastels and the color pink (ok maybe that's not a hard one), or who else would be perfectly content with either playing nancy drew computer games like she's 10 on a friday night or enjoyably smoking hookah at a friday night fraternity party? My life is independent-and has been for as long as i can remember. I'm glad I can be alone but not feel lonely all the time. If i were to take a road trip alone, it would be an extremely enjoyable experience for me, where i think others would shudder at the thought. but if the right person ever comes along, i wouldn't mind having them in the passenger seat feeding me sour gummy worms.

this is me. this is my life. it's random, but has a quirky order. many of the road signs in my life are misleading, but i just have to interpret them in the way i feel is the best option for my life. life is adventurous. it's a road trip. nobody really knows where they're going, what they're doing, who they're going to marry, or what they're going to eat tomorrow, but the reason for knowing this is true and making the best of it is so your life can be an adventure. LIFE IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN.  It should be full of twists and turns and "slippery when wet signs." Don't be afraid to drive down a one-way street in the opposite direction or disobey a "do not enter" sign.  sometimes you have to break the rules or stand up for what you believe in because if you don't, your life won't be an adventure, and what stories will you tell your grandchildren? and if you're unlike me and have a GPS configured for the next 4 years of your road trip, don't be afraid to turn it off for awhile or even chuck it in the trash. don't feel like you need to know where you're going with your life. because we aren't supposed to know. we're supposed to figure it out along the way-one day at a time. don't worry about what tomorrow will bring. focus on what you need to do TODAY to make you and everybody around you happy. it's as simple as that.

travel lightly,

hill

One more blog about movin' along the highway...

"Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life." -Jack Kerouac

When I was a small tiny girly, I loved to go places. I was only able to sit inside reading Ramona books for so long before I started pestering my parents and asking them, "are we doing anything today?" After trips to grocery stores, gas stations, forests, lakes, back country roads... my parents ran out of places to take me so I began to make up my own places to go.  I made passports, maps, travel guides and packed my suitcase.  In the basement my ma had two old maroon suitcases she got as high school graduation gift.  One was quite small and could fit the essentials for a 10 year old traveler: t-shirt, journal, gold-fish, fourteen different pens, friendship bracelet making string and of course all my papers for airfare, train tickets and business cards.  

Baggage is an interesting concept.  What you pack in your suitcase will follow you for the rest of your life, (unless the airline lost your bags).  Most time we hear about the baggage someone brings into new town or new relationship ("... and you don't have any baggage tied to your four feet" from Norah Jones' Man of the Hour) But what if we placed happy memories and thoughts in our suitcases? The essence of baggage is just the memories and experiences that don't leave you when you go somewhere new. Now, I would say that is comforting, not detrimental. 

So the next time I meet someone, I hope they are carrying a lot of baggage, I know when I start to travel the world, I know other than my suitcase full of clothes and toothpaste (can you still bring toothpaste in your bag?) I am going to bring my baggage full of stories about my first crayon colored passport. 

go on down the road, 

rach

Lovin' is what i've got

I thought I would share some things that I have been loving lately.  Recent little healthy obsessions, well maybe except number 6.. Regardless, I hope you enjoy all the things that make me smile.

 1. God's Eye.  This is a Mexican traditional ornament that is similar to the Native American dream catcher.  They are beautiful and can be quite intricate and pass on the message that God watches over us. 

2. The Shawn and Gus/JD and Turk Parallel- Miss. Hillary introduced me to Psych, a TV show I had heard funny things about but had yet to witness myself.  I found myself watching a Psych marathon and as an avid, lifelong Scrubs fan, I could not get over the voices, the mannerisms, everything. Adorable. It's guy love.

3. Industrial Chic Jewelry- Everything I wish I could collect in every vintage thrift store ever. These trinkets are found objects, with some added artistic flair. You can't tell me you ever want buy premade jewelry again. Get some charms, make your own, find inspiration.  

4. Janis Joplin- well, to be honest, it is just mainly her song Me and Bobby McGee. I just learned the harmonica part and have been attempting to hold the harmonica with my knee and strum my guitar at the same time. I just hope to meet a Bobby someday so I can sing to him. And this picture is MONEY. Ahh, dialing for dollars is trying to find me. 

5. Lace- in all forms and most colors (ixnay on the inkpay) and I am working on some lace projects that will probably make an appearance on this blog in the future

6. Monkey- I grew from monkey into (wo)man. Shake me like a monkey baby. I am the proudest monkey.  (Let us thank Dave Matthews for sharing my love for monkeys) 

7. Vintage bottles- this just reminds me of the old school yard that used to be in my back yard woods.  My sister Justine and I would search the old foundation for bottles.  I just can't get over how beautiful they can be and oh so unique!

8. Socks- Smartwool socks in general. I don't really have to write anything because everyone knows the function of socks... 

9. Ella Fitzgerald- Sultry Jazz. I like to clean to her greatest hits album. Oh a tisket a tasket. 

10. Pangaea- If I was not a Spanish major, I would certainly pursue World Cultures.  I remember in 6th grade we learned about Pangaea and cut out a map and our homework was to attempt to fit all the continents together, like a puzzle.  I love the message it sends too, how all cultures and races are connected and are all at home in the world. 

Go out and love the world, 

Rach

artist of the day

today's artist: band of horses

Love his voice. Love this song. Love that the tv show "Fringe" featured "Is There A Ghost" in the last episode I watched (especially because they hardly ever have music). Love their albums. Love their lyrics. Love them.


Love,
Hill

artist of the day

today's artist: Pretty Lights

Today's artist is Pretty Lights.  Pretty Lights is a one-man band: Derek Smith.  While in high school, he wrote and produced hip-hop music but he was attracted to American raves more than the hip hop scene.  In 2009 he went under the name "Pretty Lights" and played at various festivals, such as Bonnaroo, earning his fame in these places.  Smith's music relies heavily on electronically mixing and remastering various genres of music. Some songs he has remixed include "All of the Lights" (Kanye West) "Country Roads" (John Denver) and 'Time" (Pink Floyd).  Along with his popular remixes, he also creates some of his own songs like the one above "Finally Moving," where he uses a small music sample from another artist (the same clip Flo-Rida uses in his recently popular song) and makes that artist's vocals his own.  He currently has 3 albums and a new one will be coming out later this year. 

have a snowy day,

hill

I can't tell my future

“They talk of the future like today will never last
They talk of the future like it's already the past” –Michael Franti

Many things have happened to me lately that have made my brain start thinking of the future. Being a college student, you are constantly set up for prying questions, and conversations similar to this:

Person: Rachael! I haven’t seen you years! You never come home.

Me: Yes, I am quite busy

Person: Where are you going to school? What are you studying?

Me: Westminster, it’s a liberal arts college. Spanish.

Person:…Oh what are you going to do with Spanish?

Me: Oh I don’t know for sure, teach, translate, mission work...

Person: You should probably figure that out soon, time is running out!

Me: I’m not too concerned because I have a lot of great options.

Person: Oh so like the Peace Corps?

Me: Sure, maybe

Person: I was joking…

Me: oh…

Telling people my future seems to make the listener very uncomfortable. My guess is they don’t like the fact that my future plans are not exactly plans, but wishes.

In my mind, the concept of a future plan is an oxymoron. There is no way one can predict the future. Future, future, future; that is all the world seems to be focused on. Whatever happened to living in the now? I think people have become incapable of living in the present mainly because they are not content being in their own thoughts. How many thoughts swirling around in our head are actually ours? Most of them are borrowed, adapted, stolen, and overheard.

Take the news. What is happening around the world? Many people do not know, (and if you don’t know what is going on in the present, what gives you the thought that you can predict what will accurately happen) and the problema más grave es all of the information is coming through our brain bias. I personally believe that what is going on in the world can only start to be understood if one has seen it with their own eyes. I do not want to witness “news” through the veil of FOX News or CNN. I want to see the world before I decide how to react to the situation.

But what makes understanding very difficult? Well, I live in Amish country. And this very fact can certainly produce some depressing thoughts such as: how can I change the world if I cannot see the world or leave this town? Well the short answer to that is conversation.

Talking to others is one of the best ways to understand expierences using phenomenology (yes Dr. Rennie, I did just use that term out of Religion class). Pulling back from the way we normally look at information, sometimes we need to pretend we are not ourselves.  This should be simple for the majority of the world who already pretend they are someone else. We could all heed Kurt Vonnegut’s advice, “You are what you pretend to be. So be careful of what you pretend.”

I don’t know what the future will hold, whether I will end up in Chile or Colombia or Clarion (though I certainly hope not the latter) but there are two things I know for certain I wish to have happen…

1.  I hope to someday have a cactus themed wedding

2.  To dress my future child like this…

The future is no place to place your better days,

Rach

artist of the day

Today's artist: Led Zeppelin

I've been listening to Led Zeppelin in my room for the past 2 hours or so because I finally put their collection on my iPod and hooked the iPod up to an old CD player. Sometimes I forget how great their music is because, frankly, I just don't listen to it as much as I should (I feel the same way about Pink Floyd). Ever since I first heard "Stairway to Heaven" I knew led Zeppelin was a band for me. "Thank You" is one of my favorite Zeppelin songs. I read a book one time where they talked about how this song is eternal...and one of the best ways to experience it is going through the automatic carwash with the volume cranked-really gotta try that some day.

Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven,

Hill

The Dirtbag Diaries.

The Stonemasters.  No, they are not a group of men working for their living, but a group of renegade hoodlums living to live.  In the late 60s and early 70s a very select small group of rock climbers left their California prep lifestyle and hit the mountains.  The very first dirtbag, a name they wore proudly, lived out of their cars, ate cans of tuna, and used campfires as heat in order to make their own climbing gear that launched a risky and somewhat ridiculous pastime into a refined, technical and addictive sport.

This youth culture was just like ours, obsessed with appearance: long hair in need of a good wash tied back with a dirty bandana, cutoffs, aviators and no t-shirt.  Well, okay, maybe not the same, not the same at all.  Lungs full of dope and hearts full of hope, these men accomplished some of the most difficult climbs in the Yosemite Valley area with very minimal and previously mentioned handmade gear.

Often for me, the early 70s seem so far away and often forgotten.  To ensure this is not the case, I am making it my mission to inform more people, mainly climbers about the stonemasters. Adventure starts with breaking ground, living in camaraderie with likeminded outdoor enthusiasts and a firm belief in nonconformity. 

Rock On, 

Rach

artist of the day

today's artist: dave matthews band

Dave. A big indie attic love.  This is the first DMB song I ever heard, and I instantaneously developed a crush which eventually turned into a love. Saw the band live in 2010 and they were quite wonderful :) DMB has a great variety of instruments, the lyrics are always good for putting on your facebook or twitter page, and they have complicated rhythms in a lot of their songs which helps them stand out among the crowd of popular artists in the 21st century.  Although they became popular in the 90s, DMB is still successfully selling albums and concert tickets. Go see them in concert. They won't disappoint.

crash into me,
hill

One way I have decided to live.

"You actually feel like you enjoy life in South America"

Don't you ever feel like you are just stuck in these severe routines and you just forget to feel something? Any emotion at all. Americas has cultivated this numbness into the minds of it's inhabitants. 


People in South America arrive late to meetings, spend hours eating dinner and will stay late into the early talking to a new acquaintance because these people value relationships. Why is this a foreign concept to Americans? 


Senora was telling her students in her Spanish II class today about the major differences in cultural behavior. After discussing what I summarized in the paragraph above, a student said, "Oh, this is why Mexicans are lazy." 


Truly, only slight blame can be placed on this student because the majority of Americans actually think that statement is true. (Majority may seem an extreme word to use, but unfortunately, I feel comfortable using it). I am not speaking poorly of this student, I am just feeling sorry for her for listening to incorrect and exposed stereotypes. 


Why is it so ingrained in our minds that we must have a daily routine telling us when we should eat, how many calories we can consume, when and how often we should exercise, when we have time to call our parents? How can we continue living this stuffy boxed in lifestyle. What does our heart say? 

We need to start to live. 

Now, I am not saying throw away all plans, never call home, or gorge on junk food. Certainly not. Instead, we can focus on a lifestyle change; do what is good or healthy or spontaneous, not because we are supposed to, but because we want to. 

Central and South Americans live this lifestyle change because they want to show to their surroundings that everything is important. Priorities are very different in America and I think we could benefit by re-assessing what is important to us. Letting go of routines can declutter our life and may allow time for us to actually live. 

Remember, being different is not the same as being wrong. 

Que Sera, Sera, 

Rach

The Desk Diaries... #3

First off... Hillary, are you drinking wine?
Anyway, here is the desk of our very own Hill. Upon first examination, this registers very Hilly and I will tell you why...

1. Agatha Christy. One of, if not her favorite author. I have yet to read on of her stories, I am waiting for Hillary to diagnose one for me.  I really do feel like books are prescriptions prescribed for our current life situation by our friends. 
2. The computer. Not because I know this is hers, but I could have guessed. Quotes. There is never a situation that couldn't benefit from a good quote. 
3. Lava lamp and candles. Hillary and Hippie both start with H. So does hippo, hypothermia and hossenfeffer but that is besides the point. Labels are usually negatively connotated however, I call her a hippie with the most love. Chill yet passionate, go with the flow but knows her own mind. And of course the sent of her favorite candle, patchouli. 
4. Evidence of crafting. Newly mod podged composition book, paint trays and colors abound. We don't live in the indie attic for nuttin' folks. 
5. Everything has its place. I see this in Miss Hillary with her possessions and also her friendships. Each person or object has value and should be given the attention it deserves. 

Over all Hillary rating... 8/10
Things that I feel were missing: nail polish, some season of a tv episode, a burnt cd and more of the color purple (and no, I do not mean that Oprah lifetime movie)


Oh, and is that a Tim Burton cookie jar?

Tim Burton Cookie Cake. He looks too happy. 

And that's the way the cookie crumbles, 

Rach

artist of the day

today's artist: ben harper

 Ben Harper.  Beautiful, soulful, eclectic, talented, makes-me-wanna-swoon Ben Harper is today's artist. Inspiration by Rachael Wetzel, who would love a Ben Harper all to herself-and who can blame her? We may or may not decided that we would "burn one down" with him if he ever graced our presence. Jack Johnson and Ben Harper singing a lovely song with great lyrics.  Love it.

you could have spared me

so much misery

and told me you just wanted

a friend

believe me there is a difference

when you mean it

and when you pretend

or was I just your habit

cause I know a habit

is a hard thing to break

but won't you spare me

a little mercy

there's only so much

so much that I can take

so won't you

please please me like you want to

not like you have to

or won't you just go on and leave me

leaving me is the least that you could do

chill out,

hill

artist of the day

today's artist: Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd is definitely one of my favorite "cult" bands.  I love the entire Dark Side of the Moon album, especially when it's listened to with The Wizard of Oz on mute ;).  If you haven't heard a Pink Floyd song, we're not friends anymore.. :D They're great and I want you to think they're great, too!  The Carnegie Science center has Pink Floyd light shows...totes hittin' up that baby.  Anyway, this might be my fav song of theirs, "Wish You Were Here."


come to the dark side,
hill

artist of the day

today's artist: Rusted Root

Based out of Pittsburgh, PA, this trippy, hippie, african drum-wielding band has some of the most interesting chord progressions, harmonies and instruments on this side of the Mississippi. This new years eve, they were actually in Pittsburgh at First Night. . .only 10 minutes from where I was at the time. . .and i didn't even know, and didn't even get to see them. New Year's Day was a sad day indeed when I learned this information. So, yesterday I popped in their album and pretended to be one of their screaming groupies in the crowd. Now I know I gotta see them live. Hope you enjoy, this is one of my fav songs of theirs!

trip out,
hill

artist of the day

today's artist: She & Him

A collaboration of the quirkily cute Zooey Deschanel (She) and stylistically classy M Ward (Him), She & Him's music is original, different, and a little old-fashioned. Their videos are cute; they use a variety of instruments; Zooey's voice is recognizable & adorable; they use interesting harmony; their new "A Very She & Him Christmas" album is delightfully enjoyable.  Their not your average indie pop duo. They bring something unique to the table. Check out volume 1 & 2.

Get folky with it,
hill

I don't ask if the cup is half empty or half full... I just ask, "Are you gonna drink that?"

Pour over coffee.  I was introduced to this style of brewing coffee over the holiday break.  And no, I am not being PC by saying holiday, I am just using the term to imply both Christmas and New Years.  May it be an elementary concept, something about pour over coffee just tastes good, really good.  Think of how you would make coffee if your coffee pot suddenly broke (RIP Trey Anastasio, Clyde, The Big Lebowski).  You would take the basic components, coffee, filter and water and try your best to emulate the coffee maker. The base we used was handmade and the coffee, freshly ground Indonesian sumatra.

yes, if you were wondering, that pear in the fruit basket is sadly rotten and I didn't realize it until two days after this photo was taken.  d'anjou pears happen to be my favorite kind of pear. 

mmmm. drink up me hearties,
rach

2011 Reviewed

To look at where i was 365 days ago and compare it to today, i see decisions made and discernment considered.  I see bonds strengthened, I see sorrows forgotten.  I see new veneers painted, I see the original construction underneath.  I see conflicts arisen, i see old wars brought to a close.  I see paintings hung and words scribbled down and locked up tightly.  i see coffee burnt, and new coffeemakers purchased :]. 

In all of this, i see apparent change. But when i take a deeper look, i see that the visible changes aren't real changes at all.  Maybe different converstaion. Maybe more prevelant concerns.  Maybe bigger talk.  But it all still comes down to the truth - i am what i am, i just tend to display it differently as the days go by.  Maybe this next year will bring some changes back to the original me... KB.

"I'm not aware of too many things, i know what i know if you know what i mean." - Edie Brickell.

Generation X-Communication

Think about it. How often do you check your phone a day? How often are you sitting on facebook, twitter, or social networking sites chatting and creeping on people you went to high school with? How often are you having conversations through a cellphone or computer as opposed to drinking a cup of tea and chatting face to face? If you're like me, a 19-year old, who grew up in the technology era, it's extremely hard to escape situations like these. When I go home over break and spend time with my high school friends, all I want to do is be able to hold a converstaion with them for longer than 10 minutes without them checking their phones. Honestly, is it that hard to set your phone aside for TWO HOURS? Who is so important that you need to be texting them when you're hanging out with people you haven't seen for 3 months??? It's getting on my last nerves. I don't understand people who can't put their phone down to talk to people fac-to-face. I hate being part of the generation of no communication. Do you really think you're building a real life relaionship when you get to know someone through facebook or by texting them? We have facebook, e-mail, skype, and cell phones in order to communicate with people far away from us who we haven't seen in person for a long time-not to text someone for 3+ hours that we could easily call up and ask if they want to get a coffee and talk. It's ridiculous.

My mission this year is to end the nonsensical text conversations that happen on a daily basis. To end the constant facebook creep sessions.  To end the awkward in-person hang out sessions where everyone is on their phones instead of talking to each other. It needs to come to an end. We can't rely on technology. Technology is wonderful, but anything in excess isn't good for us.  So turn off your phone when you go somewhere with someone. Give your full attention to that person. Don't be halfway there, be fully there, willing to talk and catch-up. Don't check facebook more than once a day. Don't sit on facebook longer than 10 minutes. Don't update your twitter every five minutes. No one really cares what you ate for lunch. Stop having conversations that last longer than 30 minutes through texting-either call the person or talk in person. Don't chat online unless the person you are talking to is in another country. Stop relying on technology for everything. Go read a book or listen to a record. Draw a picture or write a poem. Go on a walk or take a bike ride. Make some coffee, invite old friends over, and talk about the past, present, and future. Live in the present. Hug somebody in real life instead of sending them an emoticon. Be real. Not technologic.

conversationally,
hill

The New Year...Indieattic Style

Goals can be pesky things. They certainly are crammed full of inspiration, dedication and perseverance, but they also harbor thoughts of depression and disappointment when the goal is not completed. Well, the indieattic vibe is to eradicate the latter thoughts. No sense being pessimistic, it wouldn't work anyway. So, here is a list compiled from many blogs, thoughts, books, overheard conversations and meditations. I consider these life goals, and the New Year is time to focus up on life goals, why settle for one year "challenges?" Let us go big or go home. And when you go home, drink a strong cup of inspiration and get back out there! 

Let's start from the beginning...

Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.

Breathe

Read more books than you did in 2011.

Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.

Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

Comparing our lives to others is fruitless. We have no idea what their journey is about.

Replace negative thoughts with positive ones especially about things out of our control. Invest energy in the positive present moment.

Gossip drains precious energy.

Dream more while we are awake.

Envy is a waste of time. We already have all we need.

Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

Make peace with our past so it won’t spoil the present.

No one is in charge of our happiness except us.

Realize that life is a school and we are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the

We don’t have to win arguments. It’s ok to agree to disagree.

Call your family often.

Forgive everyone for everything.

What other people think of you is insignificant compared to what you think of yourself.

Higher powers heal everything.

However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

No matter how we feel, get up, dress up, and show up.

The best is yet to come.

When we awake alive in the morning, be thankful.

Start learning a language not spoken in Western Europe

Memorize all the international capital cities

Borrow a friend’s instrument and learn to play it

Give ‘I love you’ gifts (gifts without a specific occasion)

Listen more, speak less

Say what you mean and mean what you say

Re-read your favorite children’s book

Detach from material things

Donate some of your wardrobe

Investigate a philosophical movement in history (transcendentalism, stoicism, phenomenology) and consider it in relation to your life

Go on dates that require no money

Unplug, in general

Separate your material wants from your material needs — and focus on the latter

Walk barefoot more often

Go get em' champ,

Rach