Wake Up

I'm loving the wintry weather I have been having. I'm probably the biggest fan of the winter season around, (except for my good friend Hannah, who is another big fan). It's just so peaceful, beautiful really. With the white landscape of snow, and the chilly air. I just simply cannot get enough of the season.

I also love the holiday of Christmas, which is coming right up. (after Halloween and Thanksgiving,of course) . It seems to be a time when people forget about their troubles, and are happy anyway. It's a time where childlike innocence fills the air, and there is a spirit of giving. I love spending time with my wonderful friends around this time, and my amazing family. The music, the memories, the tree (upside down, or otherwise)... I just simply love the holiday.

I'm so very excited for the Winter, and Christmas, and everything that's coming up. The world just seems, brighter, at this time of the year. When that first snow fell, I was smiling so wide. I couldn't help it, I knew that the happiest time of the year (for me) was coming up.

"Sittin on the dock of the bay"

I can't get my mind out of the thinking. Can thoughts be completely stopped, can one truly stop thinking? I don't believe so, as hard as you try. It can be rather tiring to be thinking all the time. But if the idealists are correct, reality only exists in thinking, and things don't exist unless you are perceiving them as such. But then again, the realists could be right, and things could exist whether or not your mind perceives them. Either way, I cannot seem to get my mind to stop thinking at the moment, and I'm thinking about people.

What exactly makes us the way we are? And I, being a religious man, believe that everyone is born with a knowledge of good and evil. But is it that simple? Are humans naturally born knowing what is good and bad, or is it learned from parental figures, and other people we, as children, look up to? I almost don't want to believe it is either. Because I don't want to believe that, say, a man was born on a desert island, abandoned, and left to fend for himself. Forgetting the physical limitations of such a situation, the man grows up to a man. I don't want to believe, that were he discovered, he would know nothing of ethical behavior or morality, and he would be a monster of sorts. On the other hand, if we were born with the knowledge of good and evil, how is it that some men can 'become' so evil? Was Hitler born with the knowledge of good and evil? Did he know that all he was doing was evil? If so, why did he do it anyway?

There is so much more that goes into such a topic. Human Nature, as philosophers have described it, is "ways of thinking, feeling, and acting that all 'normal' humans have in common". But if that is true, what is 'normal'? Does that exclude all those born with a mental illness? Do they not have what Human Nature? And if all 'normal' humans had these attributes, why are people so different from one another, on a very mental, emotional, and physical scale? If I was thinking something, the person next to me could never ever have that same thought, and yet we are all supposed to 'think in common'. Does that make Human Nature a false topic? No, I don't believe so, but then what is Human Nature? What makes us Human?

Going further, is everything we do strictly for our own benefit, or does anybody honestly act for the sake of others? I'm saying this on a very general scale, as I know there has been acts of pure selflessness and love. But, generally speaking, do humans act for themselves or for others? Do we treat others kindly because we honestly care about them, or are we more worried about our own consequences? If there was no Heaven or Hell, or no religious beliefs or moral standards, would people be good anyway? Is that part of Human Nature, to be kind and loving? It's a strange topic.

And if we were naturally loving, then how is that people still hurt other people? Do we lost our Human Nature sometimes, or is Human Nature non-existent? Are we all just people, brought up a certain way and taught certain things, and so therefore we are sub consciously acting that way? Or is there a spirit, a thing that we cannot describe, that tells us right from wrong, a 'conscience'? But then you must answer, where is our conscience when we act wrongly? Do we ignore it, and do what we want regardless of what it is saying? But then, why do we insist on defying it? What part of Human Nature is that?

What philosophy can't explain, religion seems to do for us. Satan, or an evil spirit of some sorts, 'tempts' us to make a wrong choice. And we know it is a wrong choice because our 'conscience' tells us so, or our spirit. Is that just religions way of explaining it, or is it true? I am a religious man, you must understand, I do believe in God, and Satan, and all of these things. But it still cannot explain the workings of Human Nature, because all people do not believe those things, nor are they expected to.

And it seems like Humans can agree on one thing: They are very much driven by greed, or the gaining of personal wealth. So much so, that many people's lives revolve solely around that. They go to school because they want a higher paying job, they want a higher paying job so they can buy more 'stuff'. They want more stuff, because it makes them look better socially, or they are higher on the social status latter. Which, actually, is another Human creation. We seem to want to label things, or to put people in groups. Is it because it is easier to understand it that way, or is it a deeper carnal desire that can't be explained? Why must we categorize things?

Science explains that the only way the brain works, is by categorizing things. We see things, label them as red, so that when we see something similar, we can describe it as 'red'. Otherwise description could not exist. So is that why we categorize Humans as well? We see someone who's labeled as 'rich', so that when we see a person in a similar position, we can describe them as 'rich'. Is that so? If it is, why do we develop antagonistic relations with people of different social status's then us? Why must the rich hate the poor, and vice versa? I know that that is not always the case, and that brings us deeper into the discussion. What makes some people do things that other people do not, even if they are in the same situation? If you fire a gunshot, a deer will run, any deer. But if you fire a gun at a human, the response can not be accurately predicted. He could get angry, and pull his own gun. He could run. He could call the police, the ambulance. He could do a great number of things, because all humans don't think the same. Then what, I implore, is Human Nature?

And if we were to continue this stripping down of Human behavior, we would simply seem to compare the Humans to animals, which also cannot help me in this study. It is already known that Humans (by humans own standards) have advanced far beyond that of an animal, whether they were put on the earth that way, or have evolved that way.

It truly could be to deep for me, as a child of fifteen, to comprehend. And must I talk more about this, I would simply boggle my own mind.

But I must say: I've had a truly magnificent life. And I truly believe that people are good, all of them. I believe that Human Nature, is the Nature to be loving and good, but we sometimes lose that. That is truly the study, then, isn't it? How is it that we lose Human Nature, or the natural act of loving. Of understanding. And caring. What happens to us? What happens to some of us, that makes us care not for others? That makes us seek only for or own gain? And is that all part of Human Nature as well? I don't know.

I cannot continue this study in one blog. I must continue on with my life, I must go enjoy all that I can about this wonderful world we live in. But I am continually seeking and studying. I know that people are good, the world is truly a benevolent place, whether people want to believe it or not. I'm out to prove that... Even though It sounds like a completely ridiculous thing to try to prove. I know, it does. But I am a person full of Passion I can't describe for such things. And I will study, seek, and find until I know all that I can.

"Fitter. Happier. More Productive"

Hello everyone! Today is quite the uninteresting day, however it is a saturday, and as such it has very much fun potential. I suppose I could go paint the town red, but, to my dismay, all my close friends seem to be doing something with their familes or are otherwise assiduous, so I am therefore unable to do so with company. But that is okay :). I am going to have a very wonderful Saturday, I can feel it. :).

Yesterday I was asinine enough to watch "Friday the 13th" on T.V. I had heard from some unidentified sources, that It was an interesting horror movie. How wrong they were. Now first off, I must point out that I am not a fan of horror movies, to say the least. I'll never understand why it is some people pay money to scare themselves to death, but I opine that it must give a certain thrill to those seeking it. And, even though I am not a fan of Horror movies, I decided to give "Friday the 13th" a chance. What a mundane, banal horror movie it was. I don't know how they got enough money to make a second one, ( and a third and fourth and fifth and sixth and seventh and eigth and ninth and tenth and... well you get the point) but I suppose it must've scared people in the eighties. But even though I chose to sit through a lame movie, yesterday was still a wonderful day, in so many ways. Everyday is truly a wonderful day, if you so choose. Because God is never going to make a day where nothing good happens.. sometimes you just have to look for the good.

Musically, the inspirations and Ideas have been certainly coming to me. The trouble only comes when I must record these ideas on paper. The problems arise because I forget the original ideas sometimes, and therefore the new idea, which was lucky enough to be written on paper, is less than perfect, or an eroded and devalued version of the original. Only occasionally do I get out the original brilliance that came to me, and that is when I have a song or poem. Hopefully I will get enough songs together by my bands next show! :)

Better

I guess yesterday was the worst of it, because I feel so much better today! Take that swine flu, I'm kicking your butt! And I'm a whimp, have you seen me? :). I don't really have a lot to say.. Except I don't think people appreciate their friends enough. Me included. I just realized how much my friends care about me... They didn't go a day without texting me, one even came over everyday just to make sure I was feeling okay, and she made me laugh everytime:). I just.. I love them so much, I hope they know that. I probably don't thank them enough for all they do. So, wise words of Kason for the day (which, honestly, who cares?:) ) : Appreciate your friends. Especially if you have such wonderful friends as I was blessed with.

Top Ten Songs of All Time

I suppose these, are not only the songs that have inspired my personal songwriting the most, but they are also the songs I connect with most. :) Kason's Top Ten songs of all time, are as follows:

#10 We're Going to Be Friends, The White Stripes

I can't think of a song that defines childlike innocence better. " Tonight I'll dream, while I'm in bed, and silly thoughts go through my head, about the bugs and alphabet, and when I wake tomorrow I'll bet. That you and I will walk together again. I can tell that we are gonna be friends" :). Truly, that is pure happiness. There is no mention of sex, drugs, anything. Just pure friendship and love. And it was written in a time, when mainstream radio was full of songs that talked ONLY about sex and drugs and parties. But the White Stripes proved you don't need that to be happy. In fact, those things don't make you happy at all. Maybe we should all learn from such. :)




#9 Over The Hills and Far Away, Led Zeppelin

I love Jimmy Page. If you know me, you already know that, because every time I play guitar, I probably say it. I just can't get enough of his style. And I personally believe this is his best, or it's the most inspiring to me. And definitely not to discount Robert Plant, who's vocals are beautiful and masterful on this song. And the ending gets me everytime. With just Jimmy's beautiful guitar, and that fade in chord. Truly, beautifully crafted.




#8 A Day in the Life, The Beatles

Paul McCartney is probably one of the songwriters I look up to the most. Hey Jude, Let it Be, all those classics, how could I not? But The Beatles greatest achievement, in my opinon, was the ending track on the masterpiece Sgt. Pepper album. Which John Lennon and Paul wrote together, with them both giving equal share. They did this on other songs, I know, but in this song you hear both of them, and you can conflict they're styles. And what a song it turned out to be. No better way to end Sgt. Pepper. And no better way to remember Paul and John's genius together, their wonderful partnership.




#7 Good Vibrations, The Beach Boys

I don't know if you'd call it a bridge, but what a bridge on this song. "Gotta keep those lovin good, vibrations a happening with her!" That part, with the bass, wows me. Oh but let's not forget the chorus, and the verses, and well, this song's just perfect isn't it? Brian Wilson thought he was a failure, competing with The Beatles, after Sgt Pepper. But honestly, Brian, this song is all you could've wrote, and you would still be considered genius. Well.. this and Pet Sounds of course.




#6 Won't Get Fooled Again, The Who

A song that is about political upheaval, apparently, can speak very personally in my opinion. Especially the chorus "Pick up my guitar and play, just like yesterday, and I'll get on my knees and pray. We don't get fooled again!" Those lines can speak to you during heartbreak, betrayal, renewal, and, actually political unrest. It takes a special kind of songwriter to write such magical lines, and Pete Townshend is special.





#5 No Surprises, Radiohead

Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood are my two biggest heroes, in all aspects of rock composition and songwriting. Jimmy Page will always and forever remain my favorite guitarist, but Thom and Johnny write such emotional songs. And I know to some, their lyrics don't make sense. I know to some, their to depressing. Quite the opposite with me, for some odd reason. These lyrics inspire me so, as a person and a musician. "No alarms and No Surprises, please".




#4 The Modern Age, The Strokes

I know this one's going to upset a lot of people. "You put THE STROKES above The Beatles, Radiohead, The Beach Boys, and LED ZEPPELIN???". First of all, Led Zeppelin and Radiohead are my two favorite bands forever and ever, let's point that out :). And second, the list isn't over yet :). And third, I'm just so in love with The Modern Age. I love the riff, I love the lyrics, I love the distorted vocals. And the melody on the pre-chorus, is such undeniable genius. "Oh in the sun sun having fun, it's in my blood! I just can't help it, don't want you hear right now let me goo! whooo!" Say what you want about The Strokes, but this song, and Is This It? are classics.




#3 What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong

I think it's really sad that this song has become somewhat cliche. Has there ever been a better declaration of optimism? Of seeing light in the darkness? I don't think so. :) I love this song, and I still believe it will cheer up anyone, no matter how depressed they are. The Melody, the Lyrics, everything is so beautifully crafted for happiness. It really makes you think about the power of music, and what it really can do. Louis Armstrong proved it can almost change the world, if people would listen :)




#2 Waterloo Sunset, The Kinks

A song that was written about observing a couple from afar, and finding your own paradise. Or that's what I get out of it. Like a Wonderful World, but on a slightly less optimistic note, it shows you how to find light in darkness. "Chilly Chilly is the Evening time, Waterloo Sunsets fine" :) Or perhaps, one of the most heartbreaking and inspiring lines to me, "But I don't, need no friends, as long as I gaze on waterloo sunset I am in paradise". Find your own paradise, even if the world hates you. That's the most I get out of this song. And what a message that is. :)




And Drum roll please..... (digga digga digga digga digga)








#1 Fake Plastic Trees, Radiohead

Here it is, ladies and gentleman. The greatest song of all time, in my opinion. Using plastic as a metaphor for lies, or falseness. And building up on all it's themes until that final, heartbreaking and beautiful verse: "She looks like the real thing. She tastes like the real thing. My fake plastic love. But I can't help the feeling, I could blow through the ceiling, if I just turn and run." Don't we all feel like that sometimes? We could fly, if we just ran away. We could leave everything else behind, all the lies, betrayal, heartbreak... if we just turn and ran. What an immortal line. And What a classic, immortal song. Truly, the most emotional song I've ever heard, and if the legend is true, Thom Yorke broke down into tears after recording it. I believe it, how could he not? I break down into tears when I hear it and I'm feeling like the last verse. I think everyone does. That is songwriting. That is composition. That is Music. The song defines the very thing music is. And emotional escape, a meaningful way to escape reality, for a moment. Because after all, it is a "fake plastic earth"






P.S. There is no Stairway To Heaven, because.. I'm sorry.. but I just can't get passed Robert Plant saying "Doesn't anybody remember laughter?".

Friendship

What a friend I have. The swine flu is getting worse, as it seems, but positive side: I can now say Foreigner mentioned me in a song! Because I do have a "fever of 103" :). And that's pretty cool :). But I have such a wonderful friend, I must tell you. Yesterday, without even being asked to, she brought over funny movies and watched them with me, and talked to me for about an hour, and told me stupid jokes until I laughed. :) She is my best friend. I don't know why I didn't see that before. I hope she knows how grateful I am for her, and all she does. I guess it's the worst of times, not the best, that you find out who your friends are. But, then again, this is not the 'worst of times', that sounds so doleful and somber, doesn't it? No, I'm perfectly happy :). Life's still wonderful, and the world's certainly going to have to try harder than that to make me feel any sort of sadness :).

Autmn Overcast

While I still do not feel the best, and the Swine flu only seems to be getting worse.. I looked out my window, and couldn't help but smile. Today there is an Autumn Overcast, which for some reason, I think is beautiful. True, the blue sky is not shining through, but the clouds are lovely. I love overcast days, I just thought I would say that. Perhaps it's the memories I have, on such days. Or perhaps it's simply that the world looks beautiful, on days like this. I hear thunder, It could rain. Which would only make it seem more wonderful. It's days like these, that you think God just gives you these little wonders in darkness. :)

Find Him

Find Him


I slam the door
To my bedroom, sadness filled
Feeling so alone
Feeling like my spirit’s killed


I get down on my knees
To plead to him on high
“Where were you?” I ask
“When I was left to cry?”


“When She broke my heart,
Or when their hearts turned cold
Where were you?” I beg
“When happiness was sold?”


Suddenly I hear a voice
Inside my heart declare
“My Son, I love you.
And I have been there”


“I was there in every song,
You heard a bird sing
I was there in all the blue sky
That the world did bring

I was there in all the smiles
That you ignore everyday
I was there in your friends
Who love you anyway

I was there in every sunset
In every loving word
In all the simple things
That you saw or heard


Don’t you see, my son,
That I was there all along
In every smile and laugh,
In every happy song





I love you, my son
And I would never leave thee
Sometimes you just forget
When your lost, find me.”

Tears rolled from my eyes
As I realized of his love
And joy filled my heart
To know of him above

Whenever I grow weary
Or whenever life gets grim
I look up at the sky
And I know, I can find him.