This is a really Nerdy post.

Did you know that you can mathematically prove why some sounds sound good to our ear, and others sound like they are clashing? That's just awesome. I never really looked into it before. I knew it was possible but i never understood much about the way it worked.

I saw a wave graph of two notes. C and E. The waves intersect at predictable, repeatable intervals. I guess this makes sense thinking about how it sounds. Then another graph of C and D was displayed. The dissonance was clearly visible. The two waves looked terrible together.

This makes me think people can sometimes be compared to sound. Sometimes my "sound wave" looks like this when combined with someone else's:



























Then other people make it look like this:




























So much nicer.

Can I explain this? No. Can I describe the exact differences? Usually no. But its obvious. Kind of like how you couldn't verbalize all the mental calculations needed to throw a ball through a hoop, but actually doing it is easy.

The last third of 2008 has really been great for good graphs in my world. Props to awesome friends. Here's to the impending 2009 and hoping none of you out there have any interactions of the first graph kind.

10:11pm and no one around...

Right now....10:11 pm, I'm trying to work on my Anthropology paper. How well is that going you ask? Well, I'm writing this....so it must not be going that well. In an attempt to study better, Im going to perform a mental memory flush......

I have like ten billion little things running around in my head so here goes. (in no order)
1. Why do teachers like to leave 50% of the coursework for the last 20% of the semester?
2. Why is it so hard to make time for reading Jesus books and devotions, but so easy to spend time researching car parts or playing my guitar?
3. Why doesn't winzip just give their product away for free. Practically everyone i know pirates it anyway...
4. Why can't I seem to concentrate on anything for more than 20 mins?
5. Why can't computers just work right all the time, instead of forcing me to draw out my computer skills sword and force them into submission?
6. Just how dangerous is x-ray radiation?
7. What does anesthesia feel like? (I'm gonna get to find this one out over Christmas break)
8. Who really controls how much oil costs?
9. Why can I look at a girl and think she is cute/attractive/awesome and that she has qualities I want, and yet whatever it is that has previously motivated me to get a girlfriend in the past, is now gone. Now I'm deathly afraid of drama and am scared that ANY girl I date will be as drama queen-ish as my previous GF's. (with one exception) It's like my subconscious is telling me "STAY AWAY FROM THEM! They'll just use you. They'll eat your time and money and make you feel like poo!" and then I tell it "NO! you shush! They are pretty and smell nice and I like them!". Then my subconscious and i get in this big argument...so far it keeps winning. I guess thats the skeleton in my closet :s
10. aoleiusrlasjdlfenflsdnflewjflsjdfljlawekjflsdkfffalse;sjfljsfl!!!!!!!!....?
11. Why is it so hard to say no? Plain, simple, no. "Hey Ryan do you want to (insert common group activity)?" I should just be able to say "no thanks, I don't want to." I just know people will then ask "why don't you want to do (whatever)?" and then get all upset. Prepare yourselves, Ryan is learning how to say no.
12. When are we gonna get snow for real? Im talking like two or three feet of it.
13. Why do some teachers really just not have a CLUE about their students, when they've been teaching for longer than I've been alive?
14. Why can't more time exist for friendships?


Anyway thats a little bit of what my mind is running through. Ugh....I don't know if that helped. I apologize to the zero people that read this for that boring post. Free speech sucka!

#00046

That's the ticket number I held tonight at the concert in Elkhorn, NE. Andrew Peterson and friends shared their musical talents with us, and I am completely speechless. I wish I had half of their talent and knowledge. It was simply amazing. Thanks go to Ben and Emily who have been introducing me to this music. Wow. I didn't take pictures, but the sounds of guitars, cello, banjo, slide guitar, piano, drums, cymbals, mandolin, bass, and voices still fill my ears.

In other news I am trying to figure out where all my free time is going. I mean lately life has seemed pretty busy and that is WITHOUT having/chasing a significant other. How the heck did I have time for a girlfriend before lol? Priorities I guess eh? Anyway its all good because Ive been really feeling content with that, so much so that I almost feel wierd about feeling so happy being single. What irony!

I guess if I think about it, I know where a lot of my free time is going, and, for the most part, Im perfectly content with that too :)

Culture

I'm reading the book "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri for my Lit class, and it's really reminding me of my love for culture.

The story that starts off with a newly married Bengali couple, headed to the United States so that Ashoke, the man, can start his teaching career. Ashima, his wife, spends a lot of time reflecting on memories of home, and inwardly struggles with homesickness. The story is set in the 1960's and the only communication with her home halfway around the world is through letters. A few phone calls happen as well, but those are primarily the source of bad news.

This book makes me wish I had the chance to grow up in such a culture. It makes me understand better how people from other culture's react to ours. Ironically, I think I better understand one of my exs now. It makes me as an american want to drink in that culture; to soak up as much as possible and learn every custom and tradition. In a unique way that is so different from American life. Perhaps, somewhere out there a Bengali child wishes the same thing, but reversed.

Every page elicit's a new "wow", and a new understanding for everything american. Its shocking, the comparitave general lack of respect for family and others that american's have, when viewed from a very culturally different background.

I hope this does not fall on deaf ears when I say this, but in a world thats rapidly becoming more and more modernized (westernized) when you see a glimpse of culture, cherish it and respect it. Try and understand it and learn from it. Be patient with it, becuase it might disapear faster than you think.

math and tiny things

From 11:30am, until 8:15 pm, I was doing Differential Equations. Yuck. The test was difficult i must say, but I am a little proud when I think of how much work I put into it. I know without all that studying that I would have surely failed it.


Well I'm almost done with classes until break. Tomorrow. Today actually. I am worried I will be bored. I am the kind of person that needs social interaction to survive. Don't get me wrong I need my alone time once in a while like everyone else, but friends rejuvenate me. I once had a an ex that said "Friendships drain me....". It's pretty obvious why that one didn't work out :)

My brain is frazzled. If I were to type more, I would either wind up, A.) writing too much and boring people, B.) writing too much, and saying things I would regret, or that would hurt others, or C.) attempt to make an analogy of my life that has WAY too many references to math, physics, and science.

I know option B might seem strange, but I have to edit almost everything I write initially. Apparently the filter between my mind and the keyboard lets things slip sometimes, or wants to anyway, and then the conscious part of my brain has to say "whoa there partner". I guess my subconscious can be pretty rude and straightforward. I honestly kind of like it sometimes :)

Am I just too distractable?

I can no longer listen to the radio when I read a book. I just wind up tapping my foot to the beat, and thinking of harmonies in my head, or that some other instrument would go good with it. All the while forgetting that I'm supposed to be reading. How annoying...why can't I read to music?

In other news props to Amazon.com for sending me a copy of "He Still Moves Stones" by Max Lucado for 6$. That's right. Hardcover edition, shipped to my door, for a grand total of 6$. Plus I didn't have to drive anywhere to get it, so no money in gas was spent. Anyone else read this book? I ordered it becuase there are small snippets from that book in my devotianal book "Grace" by Max Lucado, and I really liked those small segments.

We'll tommorow I have a 3 page paper due that currently has not been started. Peace!

honey nut cheerios

So last night was the main event for AcroFest. I was honestly going with the idea that it would be fun to hang out with the people I was going with, but that the actual show would not be that impressive. Boy was I wrong! I really enjoyed it, plus it was free for me (and others). A coach of another team was very kind and allowed us in the back door. It was a very random thing for him to do. Thank you sir!

Except for the way-too-loud-microphone, it was really cool. It makes me miss gymnastics very much. So much so that i decided to reincorporate some gymnastic exercises into my workout routine today. The exercise i think, is referred to as a "skull crusher". Not sure on the real title. Bascially its doing a handstand and lowering yourself until your head almost touches the ground and then pressing back up. I also added the seated handstand press and I expect to be sore tomorrow. :)

I like honey nut cherrios. There ya go....that ties in the title. haha.

they make all the difference...your friends.

A year ago i felt lost. I mean.....I didn't really have a circle of friends per say. I was not meeting new people, old friends were leaving. I was confused to be sure.

Well that was a year ago. Its amazing what time can do. What a year, or even a month or two can do for a person; Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Two months ago I had no idea that this is where i would stand today, and 6 months ago I would have even had a harder time believing it! It is truly a blessing from God. I have met so many new people, and forged new solid relationships with some of them. People whom, I had even met before, just never really got a chance to know. Now making new friends is great, but unfortunately I have this irrational fear that I will lose those friends eventually, which lets me make many good friends, but very few BEST friends. Opening up that much of myself is scary. But its happening. God is good.

This last Saturday night we, BERT (Ben, Emily, Ryan, and Taleah), were hanging out at Ben's house and a situation arose such that Emily said to me "See! Its the people that make all the difference!" She is right! I had a chance to do the exact same activity we were doing somewhere else, and I declined. The people were the ONLY thing that would have been different. How awesome it is, to feel like you can be 100% yourself, and not have a fear that you are being judged!

Sunday morning as I was helping my dad rake up leaves and pine needles, I realized one amazing thing. I do not feel lost anymore.

im a lucky man

I have some great friends. I am a lucky man.

Today we all made cider and played a game called....well.....i dont really know what its called, but basically someone says a word and everyone else makes a face. A picture is then immediately taken of the first face that comes to mind. Let me tell you, words can inspire some very interesting faces! :)

This is my first post in over 4 years. Its strange to go back and read the old writings.

Expect more + pictures soon.

until tomorrow dawns :)