Things Falling Down, Sometimes they form a Beautiful Fan of Debris…

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Photo #831: Moraine FanLocation Taken: Moraine Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta
Time Taken: June 2010

Some days, I wonder why I do this. I wonder why I do anything. It all seems so bothersome.

I write this blog, but few read it. I know why, of course. I don’t exactly make it easy to find. Advertising exists for a reason, after all.

I’ve got work. On the rare occasions I get called in. I’m starting to wonder if I need to resume my job search, just to find something with more hours.

I’m not going out and meeting people, or making art, or any of the many other productive things I could do. I just spend my time at my computer, rarely leaving the house.

And yet. I’m still meeting people, just online. I’m still doing things I love. I’m still happy with life, and the general course it’s taking. I even still like this blog, despite the lack of fame and fortune.

Just because I’m not following the normal tactics people use, it doesn’t mean I’m unfulfilled. Just… different.

I like different.

Though it does mean I have to forge my own path, break my own trail. There are no signposts to tell me when I’m lost. And some days, I could really use even just a mile marker.

  

You See the Mountains Long Before you Reach Them…

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Photo #829: Edge Of The MountainsLocation Taken: Banff, Alberta
Time Taken: June 2010

There’s a special emotion, one that I’m not sure occurs exactly the same in other situations, that appears the day before something you’ve been looking forward to for a while.

It’s one part happiness. This long-awaited event is nearly here! Just a few more hours, another sunrise, and things will happen!

Then there’s the anxiety. Will it live up to expectations? Have I overhyped myself to such a degree that I can never be fully happy with what it will be, even if things go perfectly? Or will it fail spectacularly, leaving me wondering why I was ever excited.

There’s a dash of curiosity in there, as well. What exactly will happen? Until it happens, we don’t know, and that leads to an intrinsic mystery.

But, there’s also a childish frustration. Why has the event not arrived yet? Why is it taking so long? Why can’t I go out and do things NOW?!

Above all, though, is the sense of waiting. This may seem self-evident, and not quite a standard emotion, but it’s there. A part of you is on hold, keeping steady, trying to keep from going overboard on any of the other emotions, and keep on with your life in the meantime. It’s the foundation of the emotion, the sturdy board the rest are bubbling up on.

Of course, while this is going on, every other event or activity you do is weighed against the grand event in the future, and often found lacking, for future events are all about the benefits, while real ones show their flaws as well. This leads to a general dissatisfaction with life as it is.

All this, of course, is wholly related to the Guild Wars 2 patch that’s hitting tomorrow. They’re starting the second season of their Living Story, after a months-long break, and they’ve told us practically NOTHING. Only a few teasers, a few audio files, a few images, to tempt us! The air of mystery, it is thick! The anticipation, it is at a peak!

  

Why, In a World of 7 Billion, do I Still Believe I am the Only One…

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Photo #828: Lonely SkyLocation Taken: Banff National Park, Alberta
Time Taken: June 2010

Some days I wonder if anyone out there has the exact same musical tastes as I do. And even more, if anyone has a musical collection even similar to mine.

You see, I like several obscure musical genres. The more common ones are game soundtracks and anime soundtracks, and those aren’t exactly playing on the radio. I also like Gothic Metal bands, especially Scandinavian ones like Nightwish, but only ones with female singers. And Classical, I have a bit of fondness for some of that. Though I do prefer more recently made music in the Classical style over most of the classics.

And those are the common ones.

I’m also fond of Filk, a form of Folk that’s heavy on science fiction and fantasy topics, though a lot of my favorite bands pull sounds from other musical genres as well. Oh, and I like Folk as well, including Irish and Celtic pieces (which edge towards mainstream sometimes), and have a weakness for buying CDs of regional music in small roadside gift shops.

There’s also Vocaloid, an interesting musical phenomena in Japan. Vocaloid itself is a voice synthesizer that allows artists to create sung music without needing to pay anyone to actually sing it. It’s also the general name for the music being made with it, which has developed a unique sound. The voices aren’t quite human, they don’t need to breathe regularly or anything like that, so there’s a touch of an uncanny valley effect. This makes horror songs especially effective. There’s also a tendency towards stories, often going across multiple songs, leading to some especially interesting sets existing, like the Kagerou Project. It’s most famous song, Heat-Haze Daze, propelled it to such a strong fandom that it’s spawned many retellings of the story, from manga to novels to even the most confusing yet compelling anime I’ve watched this season. Of course, all this is in Japanese, so it’s only a small niche genre in English-speaking lands.

And, even more obscure, I have a fondness for songs made about games. Not the game music itself (though I love it), but the creations that spawn up around games. Like this interesting song about a champion in League of Legends, which I’m certain makes far more sense if you’ve actually played the game. I also just downloaded a few songs included with one of the mods I downloaded for Skyrim, like this fantastic piece which, based on the name, seems to be connected to Zora, my new follower, and the quests related to her.

…I’m not sure if it’s possible to get more obscure than that. Not without delving into “not released to the public” territory.

  

Oooo, maybe a Wizard did it!

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Photo #827: Bitten MountainLocation Taken: Banff, Alberta
Time Taken: June 2010

Sometimes it’s fun just looking at something and trying to imagine how it came to look like it does.

Like the mountain in the photo. Why the two peaks?

Maybe it’s just two mountains. Could be an optical illusion that makes it look like two peaks on the same landform.

Or maybe, when the plates shoved together and stacked up the various rock strata like cardboard folding together, these were two different layers of rock, right next to each other, and they ended up close together but not exactly the same. Kind of like books falling over, two corners sticking in the air.

Maybe a glacier carved out the notch between them. Never underestimate the power of ice.

Or maybe, just maybe, a giant wandered over and took a bite out of the top of the mountain. Giants find rock delicious, don’t you know? Don’t see them anywhere near often because they tend to take long naps after each meal, and people keep confusing them for the mountains they eat.