tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87997239356601456332024-03-13T21:21:45.860-05:00Passing Through Unconscious StatesWhen I awoke, I was on
The highway, highway, highway, highwaykmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799723935660145633.post-32993445265065311252009-06-04T11:49:00.003-05:002009-06-04T11:51:47.924-05:00Changing this Blog<span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ok, so I know I barely update this one, and it was supposed to be more like my Xanga (back in the day where I chronicled my life for everyone to see), but I think I'm going to change this to my musings about music. I listen to a lot of it, and it evokes feelings in me (wat.) so I want to get them out somewhere. </span></span>kmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799723935660145633.post-48632760150330010272008-07-18T02:20:00.002-05:002008-07-18T02:23:18.377-05:00I Believe In Harvey Dent<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_8f3uignsuow/SIBEwr08zvI/AAAAAAAAALE/Fx71jEJ7QPc/s1600-h/The-Dark-Knight-Harvey-Dent-1231.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_8f3uignsuow/SIBEwr08zvI/AAAAAAAAALE/Fx71jEJ7QPc/s320/The-Dark-Knight-Harvey-Dent-1231.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224251170938998514" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Amazing.<span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>kmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799723935660145633.post-62120943944392184002008-06-13T22:17:00.004-05:002008-07-13T18:19:11.220-05:00June 12: Death Cab for Cutie @ The Mann Center in Philadelphia<span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Oh how I love Death Cab. Last night was the best concert I have ever been to in my life. The atmosphere was amazing to begin with. The Mann Center (for those of you who have never been there) is basically a covered amphitheater. So by the time the concert started, it was about 75 degrees outside with a nice breeze. Perfect weather for a concert. The band Rouge Wave opened for Death Cab, and they were alright, but I didn't really pay too much attention to them. They finished up around 8:45 and after about 20 minutes (felt like an eternity) Death Cab took the stage. During the downtime in between the two bands, my friend Lauren asks me "So what do you think they'll open with?" and I think about it for a second and I go "Well, Bixby Canyon Bridge was the first track on their latest cd... so that seems like a logical choice." Well sure enough, after the initial musical prelude, Ben Gibbard voice rings out "I descended a dusty gravel ridge<br />Beneath the Bixby Canyon Bridge" so yea, I totally called the first song. It was pretty sweet. <br /><br />A few things I/we noticed right away that were kinda cool: Ben Gibbard did not occupy center stage. He and the other guitarist Chris Walla occupied opposite ends of the stage, while bassist Nick Harmer danced around towards the back of the middle of the stage, right in front of the drummer Jason McGerr. So that was kinda cool that they didn't single anyone out by sticking them front and center. Secondly, their use of smoke machines and lights was AMAZING. Finally, they had a real piano on stage, not just an electric keyboard. Time to time Gibbard and Walla would put down their guitars to go over and play part of the song on the piano. It was pretty neat.<br /><br />So during Bixby Canyon Bridge, I decided to write down the set list so I could create a playlist for it later. The set list was as follows:<br />Bixby Canyon Bridge<br />The New Year<br />Why You'd Want to Live Here<br />Photobooth<br />Crooked Teeth<br />Long Division<br />Grapevine Fires<br />A Movie Script Ending<br />Company Calls<br />Title Track<br />Soul Meets Body<br />I Will Follow You Into the Dark<br />I Will Possess Your Heart<br />Cath...<br />We Laugh Indoors<br />The Sound of Settling<br />Marching Bands of Manhattan<br /><br />Then the encore, which I will get to later.<br /><br />Watching Ben Gibbard on stage was pretty interesting. He had this weird way of moving while he played the guitar, it was like his knees wouldn't bend, so he hopped left-to-right from foot-to-foot frequently. It was entertaining and my friend and I got continued laughs from it.<br /><br />So after Gibbard does an AMAZING version of I Will Follow You into the Dark (just him and his guitar) he finally goes into a prolonged story. He said "So we were playing in Brooklyn on Tuesday" and he was cut off there as everyone started booing. I thought "You know you're in Philly when the mere mention of New York elicits boos even when it isn't in connection with sports". After the boos died down he says "You guys can boo, but it's just where we were playing." and he continues on with his story. So he tells us how they were a few songs into the set when a "Hurricane wrapped in a tornado" hits Brooklyn and everyone is instantly soaked. He was disappointed that they couldn't finish the set for them that night, but then went on to say how much he loved the sound techs who broke their equipment down really quickly that night.<br /><br />So then he breaks into I Will Possess Your Heart (great song, even better live) and they finish out their set. After about five minutes of cheering and screaming, they finally come back on stage to start their encore. They played:<br />Title and Registration (Gibbard used the piano for the music in the bridge, it was a great touch to the song)<br />No Sunlight<br />405 (which is quickly becoming one of my favorite songs)<br />Your Heart is an Empty Room (in my opinion, this is their best song)<br />And as that last song was playing I started thinking "Well, they've played four songs now for the encore... I wonder if they'll end with this or if we will get Transatlanticism. They must hate playing that song all the time... but they can't not play it, they would disappoint everyone... and it's so good that they probably actually don't mind playing it..." Needless to say I was worrying a good bit, but as Your Heart is an Empty Room came to a close, Gibbard took of his guitar and made his way over to the piano. The rest of the band kept playing until Gibbard struck out the first notes of Transatlanticism on the piano. I was relieved and the place went crazy. As the music built to the part where Gibbard sings "I need you so much closer" I was amazed at how loud they were playing, it is hard to put into words, but it was so loud, but so good. Naturally they ended with Transatlanticism, as they rightfully should have.<br /><br />The only things that really disappointed me about the concert were small. They played Marching Bands of Manhattan, but they didn't play the single piano note that ends the song, which really disappointed me, because it was the first time they walked off stage and I felt like had they played it, it would have been really poignant. I was also disappointed that they didn't play You Can Do Better than Me or What Sarah Said, but all in all, I couldn't complain much. This was by far the best concert I've ever been to.<br /><br /></span></span>kmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799723935660145633.post-12776395878239935772008-03-10T02:25:00.000-05:002008-03-10T02:26:57.558-05:00Nothing Better<span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wmaEYrmrY4I"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wmaEYrmrY4I" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></span></span>kmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799723935660145633.post-22702915126543689862008-02-18T17:18:00.003-05:002008-02-18T17:21:30.341-05:00Check it Out<span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-style: italic;">So i write a weekly sports column for my friends blog. Check it out at <a href="http://two-a-days.blogspot.com">http://two-a-days.blogspot.com</a> <br />Since it's hockey season, it's currently an NHL column, but once baseball starts up i will be doing some baseball postings as well.</span></span>kmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799723935660145633.post-82749214780617075282008-02-17T02:31:00.001-05:002008-02-17T02:33:56.162-05:00w00t<span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-style: italic;">my week from hell is over. i had three exams, three projects, a quiz and homework due last week. i made it through though, i did pretty well on everything. i got an 88 on my stat exam and a 83 on my sociology exam. aced the hw, quiz and projects... so yea, just waiting to get the poli sci exam back. but i'm so relieved now.</span></span>kmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799723935660145633.post-85688808096706912902008-02-15T08:44:00.000-05:002008-02-15T08:45:08.430-05:00Penn State 300<span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-style: italic;">continuing in my posting of Penn State youtube videos, this ranks amongst my favorites<br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_kIpolk6mqw&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_kIpolk6mqw&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></span></span>kmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799723935660145633.post-89823271848727023502008-02-14T17:32:00.000-05:002008-02-14T17:33:36.842-05:00Don't Mess With Penn State<span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Seriously. <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_Quh63kQBUk&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_Quh63kQBUk&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></span></span>kmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799723935660145633.post-21896171090023699782008-02-12T23:12:00.002-05:002008-02-12T23:27:31.748-05:00Penn State Weather Blows... Seriously<span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ok so sunday night we reached a nice balmy low of -23 degrees with the wind chill. monday it warmed up a little. and by a little i mean i think it stayed about 0 all day. and now today we got about 5 inches of snow and it was practically shorts weather because it was in the high 20's all day. unfortunately that snow fell on top of ice and NO ONE IN STATE COLLEGE SHOVELS THEIR SIDEWALKS. the townies around here suck, the borough gets so pissed off whenever a frat doesn't shovel their sidewalk, but the townies never shovel their sidewalks. it happens every time it snows, without fail. walking to campus is right out if you want to be safe... anyways... classes definitely should have been canceled today because the administration was not clearing the sidewalks faster than the snow was falling. all the sidewalks were slippery and i nearly fell twice which would have sucked because i was carrying my laptop... anyways rant over.</span></span>kmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799723935660145633.post-2403986856386814582008-02-11T02:01:00.000-05:002008-02-11T02:11:56.796-05:00And We're Back<span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Well once again i have that itch to blog. so *blog*. anyways, i was reading through my old xanga today (i can't believe i remembered the password and such... well maybe it isn't that unbelievable) and i got pretty nostalgic... i miss high school, i'm not gonna lie. life was so much less stressful back then. maybe i'm only remembering the good parts of it, but i miss the closeness i had with my old friends... i also really miss playing hockey and tennis. like really badly. soooo when the weather decides to not be 5 degrees or colder out anymore... i will be up for playing tennis, those of you who go to penn state who wants to play? also do you like the banner thing i added at the top of my page? i made it myself. its a freeze frame of a scene from Lost in Translation where Scarlett Johannson is sitting in her window gazing out over tokyo... and then the text inside lists the songs i've recently listened to. 'tis sweer. later.</span></span>kmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799723935660145633.post-29174148297976146222007-08-18T02:18:00.000-05:002007-08-18T02:32:11.002-05:00Summer Playlist<span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />What have I been listening to all summer? Nice of you to ask... here's a list of my favorites this summer:<br />Dance Inside - The All-American Rejects<br />Rebellion (Lies) - Arcade Fire<br />The Boy With the Arab Strap - Belle & Sebastian<br />The Rising - Bruce Springsteen<br />Your Heart is an Empty Room - Death Cab for Cutie<br />Sweet Child 'O Mine - Guns N' Roses<br />Dead Man (Carry Me) - Jars of Clay<br />Bling (Confession of a King) - The Killers<br />Float On - Modest Mouse<br />Sleep - My Chemical Romance<br />Mass Romantic - The New Pornographers<br />The Tension and the Terror - Straylight Run<br />A Pillar of Salt - The Thermals<br />Punkrocker - Teddy Bears<br />Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve<br />Werewolf in London - Warren Zevon<br />I'm Always in Love - Wilco<br />Intervention - Arcade Fire<br />Dirty Dream Number Two - Belle & Sebastian<br />Look After You - The Fray<br />Here in Your Arms - Hellogoodbye<br />She's a Jar - Wilco<br />Keep the Car Running - Arcade Fire<br />Trouble Is - Jars of Clay<br />Don't Die Wondering - Kill Hannah<br />All that He Wants (American Jet Set) - Kill Hannah<br />Lesser Things - Jars of Clay<br />Testament to Youth in Verse - The New Pornographers<br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span>kmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799723935660145633.post-84930070639559618942007-07-18T15:04:00.000-05:002007-07-18T15:05:53.577-05:00The Only Road I've Ever Been Down<span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-style: italic;">so pretty much one of my most favorite songs is Bittersweet Symphony. Here's the pretty awesome music video for it. <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/V-Po8uJeoUw"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/V-Po8uJeoUw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object></span></span>kmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799723935660145633.post-40979474215478953812007-06-30T19:39:00.000-05:002007-07-18T15:04:04.446-05:00Robot Chicken... Star Wars Style<span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Star Wars Robot Chicken was amazing. Here are some highlights...<br /><br />Yo-Mama fight:<br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9vwnpozWU5M"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9vwnpozWU5M" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />Vader Really Can't Choke People...<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oiFKwEb_g2A"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oiFKwEb_g2A" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />Solo's Real Convo in the Death Star<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EERaf15vOR4"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EERaf15vOR4" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />Drinking Ruins Lives...<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rNyi_lYPv1c"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rNyi_lYPv1c" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />The Side of Boba No-one's Ever Seen...<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hfPSmDLfX_Q"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hfPSmDLfX_Q" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />The Emporer Learns the Fate of the Death Star...<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FzWSLcFBI8Y"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FzWSLcFBI8Y" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>kmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799723935660145633.post-62150733560158436522007-06-10T01:40:00.000-05:002007-06-10T01:49:19.035-05:00I LOVE Death Cab For Cutie<span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-style: italic;">So i was listening to music today, and the song Expo '86 by Death Cab For Cutie came onto my playlist. And i have always liked this song, it's probably my favorite off of the album Transatlanticism though the song Transatlanticism and A Lack of Color make compelling arguments, but i haven't listened to this song in a long time. anyways, so i listened to it for a few times today, and i just realized how beautiful it really is. i went on songmeanings.net, which is a great site, and started reading what people thought of the song. and i stumbled upon this explanation of the song: <span style="font-style:italic;">"It's about a person who has been crushed time and time again when his affections have been placed in people that either don't return them or scorn them. It's about somebody who has been let down by love his entire life, but now there is this perfect person that has somehow miraculously chosen him and him alone to be with, If one has been disappointed one's entire life, you can't help but think that this great thing won't last and you're just waiting for the other shoe to drop or to wake up from the dream."</span> and that explanation just floored me. it was perfect. so i made Expo '86 my theme song. then i went on to just read the lyrics of several other DCFC songs, and each one i was thinking to myself 'these are amazing lyrics'. I had forgotten how well i can find my feelings in DCFC songs... and i really really love DCFC</span></span>kmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799723935660145633.post-75018616521062849712007-05-04T03:24:00.000-05:002007-05-04T03:36:48.495-05:00Last Day's Bringing Memories and Thoughts<span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-style: italic;">So today marks the last day of my freshman year in college... it flew by so fast. i remember the last months of my senior year in high school dragging on and on and on and on... and on. but college, one year, flown by. there's been some good times, i've done some regretful things... all in all i think it was a good year... but i'm dreading moving forward... losing some good friends to graduation... others to financial difficulties... makes me sad... i also have been becoming increasingly aware of other people having relationships and me not... everything i see reminds me that i'm alone... heh definitely in one of my melancholy moods right now...</span></span>kmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799723935660145633.post-16485583644969928012007-04-12T03:19:00.000-05:002007-04-12T03:24:47.138-05:00Weird stuff....<span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-style: italic;">soo... today i found out that one of my friends from high school is pregnant... she got married last summer right after graduating to one of my other old friends... and now she's pregnant... its just feels weird to know that someone my age is actually starting a family... its something that i won't be ready for for a long time... on one hand... they're very happy... but on the other hand they are missing out on some of the experiences that i'm gaining at college... i wonder which is better... i dunno maybe they'll be happy not having the same experiences i am... but i know that i definitely needed to come and experience college before settling down... still... its hard to get past...</span></span>kmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799723935660145633.post-91943470033925228692007-04-07T01:17:00.000-05:002007-04-07T01:21:30.491-05:00Dirty Dream... Number Two<span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I'm lucky, I can open the door and I can walk down the street<br />Unlucky, I've got nowhere to go and so I follow my feet<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A choice is facing you, a healthy dose of pain</span><br />A choice is facing you as you stare through the rain<br />A choice is facing you but I choose to refrain for today<br />Tomorrow we'll be back in trouble again<br /><br />Dream one, you had a whole lot of fun with a comedian<br />Stop short of going all the way, you'll have to make it someday<br /><br />Why is this happening to you, you're not a child?<br />Why is this happening? You've too much on your mind<br />Things creep up on you when you are fast asleep<br />You are dreaming, you are sleepy<br />You are stuck to the sheets<br /><br />In a town so small there's no escaping you<br />In a town so small there's no escape from view<br />In a town so small there's nothing left to do<br />Intellectual and perspiring<br />Dirty dream number two<br /><br />Dream two you couldn't see her face, but you saw everything else<br />Dream two was pretty special, easily beats loving yourself<br /><br />Could you put a name to someone elses sigh?<br />Could you put a face to someone elses eyes?<br />Is it someone that you'd maybe recognise?<br />But it all fades into morning when you open your eyes<br /><br /></span></span>kmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799723935660145633.post-75181738470628698422007-02-19T00:36:00.000-05:002007-02-19T00:40:53.073-05:00My Heart is Also with the Kids<span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />This past weekend was THON. For those of you who don't know what THON is, it's an entirely student run event that raises money for the Four Diamonds Foundation, which helps pay for treatments for kids with cancer and gives money towards research for a cure. Last year a record $4.2 million was raised... this year it was topped by a full million dollars. The full total: $5,240,385.17. Simply amazing. Here's a video on THON... <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Np6elB0U3SU"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Np6elB0U3SU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object> </span></span>kmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799723935660145633.post-49465558174838573142007-02-18T03:37:00.000-05:002007-02-18T03:40:12.933-05:00My Heart Is in Africa...<span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />So I wrote this paper for english 015 a few weeks ago. Made me miss Africa badly... here's my paper<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Victoria Falls</span><br /> In August 2004, I had the opportunity of a lifetime. I was able to see Victoria Falls in Zambia and Zimbabwe. I spent two days there, and those are two days that will remain etched in my memory forever. Victoria Falls is part of the Zambezi River and is created by the river flowing into a gorge. The river is about a mile wide at the point where it encounters the gorge. Since the river flows over one of the long ends of the gorge, tourists are treated to a spectacular view of the falls. They are able to walk along the other long edge and see the wall of water in front of them. It is a view you cannot get at other major water falls like Niagara Falls or Iguazu Falls, because you cannot get a head on look at either one of them.<br /> There are so many ways to describe Victoria Falls it’s hard to decide where to start. It appealed to each of my senses except taste. I guess I’ll start with the smell and touch and work my way up to sound and sight. The smell of Victoria Falls is one that will stick with me for the rest of my life. Walking along the edge of the cliff, the smell was almost overwhelming. On one side, I could smell the stink of the wild animals that lived in the woods on the left side of the path. Several baboons roamed those woods, but they didn’t come near the tourists. But when I turned my back to the woods, I got the full array of smells from the water. The smell was much like the smell after a refreshing summer shower, but it was a cleaner smell. It had that musty smell that you smell when you’re in a cave that has water flowing through it. The smell of the moss, lichen and wet grass all contributed to the fresh scent that hung in the air. Each time I encounter a smell that is similar; I am yanked back to my memories of Victoria Falls. <br />What I felt while I was at Victoria Falls was small, but it still played a part in the overall experience I had. Before I even got within fifty feet of the falls I could feel the ground faintly trembling. It is a weird feeling when the ground shakes underneath you. I can only imagine it’s something like a mild earthquake. The shaking could only have been caused by the force of the water that was pouring over the edge of the cliff to the river bed below. I could feel an increase in the movement as I stood directly across from the falls, but that is to be expected. The other thing that I felt was mist from the water hitting the rocks and splashing up. Now, the gorge is 130 meters (about 430 feet) deep and water was splashing up and hitting me. That flat out amazed me. <br />It is hard for people to get an accurate picture of how deafening the roar of the falls was if they haven’t experienced it. I think the most amazing part to me was the fact that I could hear the dull crashing of the water from my hotel room at The Kingdom, which is over a mile and a half from the falls. The sound can be heard all around the town as well. As you approach the falls, the sound begins to grow louder with each step. Finally, there are only a few trees separating you from the falls. Once you clear the last tree line, the full force of Victoria Falls blasts you. The sound is like listening to thousands of antelope gallop across the African Plains. By the time you leave the falls, your ears have the same feeling they get when you have just left a particularly loud rock concert. It rings in your ears for a good ten minutes after leaving the falls.<br />It is impossible to do any justice to what I saw at Victoria Falls, but I must try. When I first came up on the falls, I took a little path through the woods to get there. I couldn’t really see anything, but I knew it must be there because I could hear it. Near the end of the path there was a tiny waterfall and I thought to myself “There is no way that this is all”. As I approached the end of the path it veered off to the left, and then curved back right. As I cleared the curve suddenly there were no more trees to my right and they were replaced by the full view of the falls. All at once. It is a lot to take in. I think I just stood there for a few moments trying to get a grip on what I was seeing. Thousands of gallons of water were rushing over the cliff each second, and falling. Four hundred and thirty feet to the ground. It was a surreal feeling. The feeling was complimented by the mist that pervaded the area. It was like walking through a dreamscape, only it was very, very real. I walked along the path towards the west end of the falls. At one point there was a bridge that spanned the gap that allowed the Zambezi River to continue its course. It was at that time that I saw my first perfect rainbow. The mist in that area was so thick that a complete circle rainbow had formed around the bridge. It was almost as breathtaking as the rest of the falls were. The falls stretch for about a mile along the gorge. There were points where rocks along the top of the gorge poked through the water and broke up the water flow. However, I was there during the dry season. Apparently during the wet season, the water flows uninterrupted as one long sheet of water. I wish I could’ve seen that.<br />My experience at Victoria Falls was the final part of a life changing trip. I loved walking along the path next to the falls. It was a very serene moment in my life. Despite all the surrounding noise, the scene was nature at its perfection, and I couldn’t get enough of it.</span></span>kmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799723935660145633.post-90738855512646859012007-02-07T23:05:00.000-05:002007-02-07T23:21:48.928-05:00It's been awhile<span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">ok so it's been awhile. almost a month... alot has happened since then. in the last few weeks i have become a pledge in the Rho Class (go Rho's!) at the Alpha Chi Sigma (AXE) fraternity here at Penn State... it's gonna be fun times. it's the professional chemistry frat, it's also co-ed. Justin convinced me to do it... haha. so because of this, i'll be back at home this weekend so i can go canning for THON which is next weekend. gonna be sweet! and... Serena Williams is back! She won the Australian Open, dominating Maria Sharapova in the final... Federer won the men's side obviously... this video just shows his beautiful mastery of tennis...<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xNPaZj4yn00"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xNPaZj4yn00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br /></span></span></span>kmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799723935660145633.post-49280680680457733102007-01-19T01:03:00.000-05:002007-01-19T01:23:36.010-05:00The Australian Open<span style="font-family:times new roman;">Well the tennis season is in full swing again. The Australian Open started Sunday night (Monday morning there). S o far none of my favorites have lost (Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova, Nicole Vaidisova, James Blake, Rafael Nadal) but Roddick has a tough match at 3:30 this morning against Marat Safin. One surprise so far this tournament is that Serena Williams has made it to the fourth round. She took out 5th ranked Nadia Petrova today. She's playing 11th ranked Jelena Jankovich next, so we'll see how she fares against her. It should be a good match. Another nice surprise for Americans is Mardy Fish. He's made it to the fourth round now after starting off the tournament upsetting 4th ranked Ivan Lubijic. After watching the first few rounds... my predictions from the semis on in for the men:<br /><br />Federer vs. Roddick<br /><br />Blake vs. Davydenko<br /><br />Finals:<br />Blake vs. Federer<br /><br />Winner:<br />Federer (You'd be a fool not to pick him)<br /><br />Women's Draw:<br />Semis:<br />Sharapova vs. Clijsters<br /><br />Williams vs. Mauresmo<br /><br />Finals:<br />Williams vs. Clijsters<br /><br />Winner:<br />Williams (It's a long shot, but she's starting to want it again)<br /></span>kmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799723935660145633.post-7263701906759606912007-01-12T00:42:00.000-05:002007-01-12T01:29:11.241-05:00Sunrises<span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;">So I caught a sunrise this past sunday. Thanks to my sister's hockey game at 7:10 (she scored her first goal by the way)... anyways, I've always been a fan of sunsets (I took some great pictures of the sun setting on the west coast when I was in Cali this summer they're on my facebook), but I have very rarely witnessed a sunrise... I value my sleep. But since I had to be up, I decided to enjoy the sunrise. It was beautiful... seriously, it needed a pit orchestra to play in the background. At first, there was just a tinge of pinkish orange light on the horizon, but after a few seconds it started to grow into a rich orange, silhouetting the clouds that dotted the skyline. Pretty much, it was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I quite enjoyed it, it made my morning.<br /><br />//kmart<br /></span></span></span>kmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799723935660145633.post-12777677974839523072007-01-07T01:25:00.000-05:002007-01-07T02:03:07.910-05:00Confusion, regret and loneliness<span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Why are things confusing for me?<br /><br />I think part of the reason why I get confused is because I think that people think the same way I do. Like, they have the same opinion that I do on a certain event, but then I find out later that they actually didn't, I was just hoping that they did. Confused yet? Good. I can't explain it much better than that, hopefully you'll understand what I'm trying to say... this break has been interesting to put it simply. I'm really not sure where I stand with some people and I don't like that, but I've gotta deal. Past choices lead me to where I am now, so I've got to live with that. I need to think a little more before making decisions maybe... that might avoid some of this confusion later on at least. Regret sucks. Don't do things you'll regret. Haha if only it were easy to determine what you will or won't regret.<br /><br />I saw The Good Shepherd today. Great movie. Very thought provoking. There isn't alot of action in it, but the acting is wonderful, and I think it really captures the emptiness and lonliness that people like Edward Wilson feel. Every decision he had to make throughout the movie forced him to lie to someone in his life that he wanted close to him, mostly his son and his wife. He didn't have the luxury of having friends that he could trust. While the movie never showed Wilson as caring whether or not he had people he could trust, it was clear that his job is not the way life is meant to be lived for human beings. Even if it didn't show, he was lonely.<br /><br />Loneliness will tear people apart.<br /></span></span>kmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799723935660145633.post-31168165435941603522006-12-26T00:19:00.000-05:002006-12-26T00:22:33.502-05:00Christmas<span style="font-family:times new roman;">So today was Christmas. Yup. Time for some Charlie Brown's Christmas... <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/12/09/a-charlie-brown-christmas-scrubs-style-video/">Scrubs style</a>.<br /></span><a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/12/09/a-charlie-brown-christmas-scrubs-style-video/"></a>kmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8799723935660145633.post-65895495211132790222006-12-22T18:36:00.000-05:002006-12-22T18:47:03.339-05:00mmm Winter<span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Today marked the first day of winter. my personal favorite season. is it because of the snow? possibly? or christmas? also a good possibility. I thought about it today, and decided that it was actually because of the peppermint stick ice cream that becomes available. peppermint stick ice cream is God's gift to mankind. it's actually what christmas is all about. and you thought it was about Christ... you silly person. peppermint stick ice cream combines two of the greatest sweets: peppermint sticks and ice cream, to form the ultimate alliance that takes your tastebuds on by storm. its quite a religious experience. i encourage you all to indulge frequently in this godly treat. remember, if its condoned by God, its good for you. so that means no fat or calories in the ice cream, you only find those in evil flavors such as chocolate (chocolate also gives you pimples, which are of the devil, so keep that in mind). so basically, winter just wouldn't be the same without peppermint stick ice cream. unfortunately, it, just like winter, is seasonal, so you only get it once a year, what a travesty.<br /><br />//kmart<br /></span></span>kmarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02453904470113318586noreply@blogger.com1