The Faults of Friends

Last day to submit paper. 3 more hours. And instead of tying up loose ends and orphan paragraphs last night,  I spent 5 hours listening to a song on repeat. Result: Busted phalanges from trying to play chords that require man-sized fingers.

All this cuz a buddy sent me a song that I (obviously) fell in love with, resulting in the result stated above - and no paper.

Still obsessing about song. Can't get it out of my head. Must be a sign for things to come.


So I'm running away.
I'm leaving this place.
Yeah, I'm running away.
I'm running away. 
And faster than you can follow me from this lonely place.
And farther than you can find me, I'm leaving
Yeah I'm leaving today.
And I, I'll never let you find me.
I'm leaving you behind with the past
No, I won't look back.
And I don't want to hear your reasons.
Don't want to hear you tell me why I should stay. 
And try, and try to understand me
And try to understand what I say when I say I can't stay
I, I'm moving on from this place
I'm leaving and I won't quit running away.

I'm running away.
I'm leaving this place.
Yeah, I'm running away.
I'm running away

how life is now

Moving on slow...

15 pages. Trying to manage flow, content, goal in mind. Not necessarily in that order. Do all words ending with 'ly' just irk me or is it the context?

I don't have a goal.

Just this: Need advisor to sign paper which says 'Graduate'. or maybe just her name. Funny that the paper they sign to allow people like me to graduate happens to be pink. A sign?

Now the word 'From' looks different. It seems like a dress, a clothing material or something a girl would wear. All of which is not nice in my head. I can't start a paragraph with 'From', doesn't seem right. Where is Strunk and White when I need them? Online most probably. but it's not the same. I still prefer the 25 buck red hardbound book.

Is it the lateness of the hour, or that I've been writing since morning  (translated to 9 hours today with 1 hour breaks??). (And this break don't count btw).

Too many things in parantheses. Blog editor gives squiggly and I don't care enough to find out if my spellings are right.

Don't know why I wrote this, except that at this point of inebriation, the word 'from' doesn't seem like a good way to start a sentence.

Proceeding with the paper.

not writing at all

Instructional design is a painful subject. Instruction I hate. Design I can't. But having left a job, country, and spent a house and two years of breathing on getting an education in this field, you would think I had some love for it.

No love.

Over 200 instructional design models, 100 learning theories, another 100 principles on multimedia. Add these numbers to theories of practice. Now multiply all with the subjects you can teach. Or further - into specific skills from how to brush your teeth to tear your thesis when in need of toilet paper. Factorial analysis doesn't help here.

Instructional Design. I hate.

See what happens when you were supposed to finish a paper for graduation that will happen next week with or without you, and you've nothing to show for 2 years  - except 20 pounds of excess fat from sitting around listening to inane songs like sowing the seeds of love...

Aaaaargh.

All I need is 50 pages.

Only unfulfilled love is romantic...

... so says Penelope Cruz's character in Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

As if I did not know that.

All I want...

With a great guitar comes great responsibility. Pause. Cogitate. That doesn't mean what you think it means you idiot.

If you had a child do you leave it standing in the corner? (Yes, for a while, and if you're like me, forever ... kids deserve it). Ok, if you have a dog of the NY variety (read disguised rat that yelps), you spend a fortune dressing it up in little sweaters and shoes for  winter, designer bags to carry it around on subways in all kinds of weather, etc., etc., etc. Shouldn't you spend as much, if not more, on something that gives you pure joy and no hassles with regard to poop-picking and the like? Also, your guitar is attached to you,  it doesn't run a mile ahead forcing you to jog or lags so far behind wondering at the intricacies of a bloody lamp-post.

I'm rambling.

The point is, all it takes to take care of your guitar is have these items with you wherever you go:

1. String cutters
2. Screwdriver (2 -in- 1: flat and Phillips)
3. 4 Allen wrenches
4. A string winder
5. Trem Poker (just in case you have a Strat or will in future, always always be futuristic)
6. Spare set of strings of course

All this and a flashlight comes in a cool kit like this:

(The strings are not included of course, the kit just has storage space for them and your picks). This costs about 40 bucks. In addition to these items, you might also want to carry these: 

7. Guitar polish and cloth ($13)

8. Capo ($10 - $15)

9. 0.73mm guitar picks ($3 - $7)

10. Strap ($3 - $15)

So, about a 100 bucks give or take a few. Why I have included the prices is just for your info... and may be you can get me these items. 

Cash donations are also accepted here.

Easter morning, April 4th 2010

I am celebrating resurrection. Or rather, am on my way to purchase paraphernalia to help bring me back to life. Desperate times call for extreme measures. Like taking the slowest local train in NYC to get me downtown on a Sunday morning.

So after some detours caused by distractions and my incapability of holding a thought for a prolonged period, I get to my destination. Four hours later,  here's what I have (in addition to an impoverished bank balance):

A Taylor dreadnought acoustic six-string solid top with a satin finish... a guitar by any other name. The deep sound kinda takes your breath away... when an expert plays it that is... I'm just tinkering. 

Oh I should write about the long process of buying a guitar... later... 

For now, these are a few of my favorite things la la la

What is life without writing, books and music, and books on music and writing?

Need to name my guitar. What?
It's a he btw.