| This Entry Brought to you by English Assignments |
[22 Apr 2009|01:35pm] |
Chap Stick, Chapped Lips, And Things Like Chemistry Reliant K
( Lyrics )
I think I first heard it when a friend played it for me about two or three years ago. I think the song is an acknowledging that everyone conforms in someway or another. Whether it's because of convience ('owning a cell phone)' or because they don't want to be alone ('nobody wants to stay home while the rest of us go out') people want to fit in and usually they try to do this through material and/or superficial means. Chapstick is a metaphor/symbol for material things like clothing, chapped lips is for looks and physical appearances, and things like chemistry are complicated things that he doesn't even understand. He feels confused and out of place not only because he's being critisized about these things, but also because he doesn't even understand why he deserves to be critisized.
I think it's a really good song. Ridiculous and catchy on the surface, but it has a pretty good message if you dig into it.
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| This Entry Brought to You by Concerned Friends/Matchmakers |
[15 Apr 2009|03:14am] |
[Private to Eddie]
How are things going?
[Private to Angie]
How are things going?
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| This Enty Also Brought To You By Parties |
[01 Apr 2009|03:20am] |
I don't have to wear all green do I? Because I think some green lettering on a black shirt is the extent of that color in my wardrobe.
[Private to Eddie]
Hey! Do you wanna car pool to Alyssa's house or should I just meet you there?
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| This Entry Brought To You By Grapevines & Familial Mockery |
[18 Mar 2009|08:13pm] |
[Private]
Apparently my little brother saw the list. And decided to tell my sisters. Who decided to play Baby Got Back when I got home. Complete with jeering choreography. The I had to explain to my nieces why a Anaconda wants buns. I told them he meant hamburgers. My crazy ass siblings are corrupting their own young.
Who needs bullies when you have family.
[/Private]
I need to get out my house.
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| The Entry Brought To You By English Assignments |
[17 Mar 2009|01:46pm] |
"You are a good only in so far as you recognize yourself to be a man. The man who knows how to enjoy his existence as he ought has attained to absolute perfection, like that of the gods. We seek other conditions because we do nut understand the proper use of our own, and go out of ourselves because we do not know what is within us. So it is not good our mounting on stilts, for even on stilts we have to walk with our own legs"
--Montaigne
In his writing, Montaigne regularly displays a focus and attention to the nature of humanity. His narrative, while complex, fixes itself on very base and natural human functions. In this way, Montaigne expresses the importance that he places in humans following nature and doing what is natural. To "recognize yourself to be a man" is to be aware that one is human and unable to transend above what is natural to the species. To become a figure that is divine or holy, is futile and, due to that futility, attempt is foolish and contemptable. With this vein in mind, Montaigne's quote can be read as a condemnation of the pursuit of personal elevation through attempt mentally exault oneself. In trying to become something more divine that a mortal or an improvement of the human race, an individual actually achieves a state of abomination. Goodness is achieved through recognizing your humanity and not attempt to rise above it. Montaigne’s image of humanity walking with stilts serves to illustrate two characteristics of human behavior. Through mounting an elevated position, humanity is attempting to achieve immortality. This second characteristic, the inability to escape the human condition, is not necessarily a negative limitation. Montaigne maintains that the man who enjoys his existence attains “absolute perfection”. Thus, a misunderstanding of ourselves causes us to search outside of ourselves.
I'd say I agree, to a certain extent. I feel that the knowledge of the self can also lead us to “go out of ourselves”. Recognizing that our time on earth is inevitably limited, many of us may feel that we must exceed our natural bounds in order to distinguish ourselves. Ambition causes the issue to no longer be one of self-recognition but one of self-distinction from others, thereby moving an inward focus outwards. There is such a thing as too much ambition but also such a thing as too little ambition as well, which I don't think is much of an allowance made by this quote. I think something simpler like "Reach, but not too far" would have been more apropos.
That's just me.
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