Monday, August 25, 2008

Free Audio Books

I just did a search on free audio books and came across LibriVox.com. There are tons of classic novels you can dowload as an .mp3 and listen to. The quality/voice acting is not the greatest, but hey, it's free.

No place to be . . .

I was listening to Matisyahu the other day and realized that the title of his last album fit my life perfectly right now. I decided to move from the place I've been living for three years - it was a complicated decision. In truth, the list of pro's and con's was about equal, but in the end, I decided to find a new place to live. I suspected that there was mold in the basement since it floods every time it rains or even when the sprinklers turn on, but the management company wouldn't do anything about it, so I decided to give up my one mile commute and lunch-at-home lifestyle for something else, something better. However, I picked a bad time to move - every apartment I've looked at was both a) completely unfit for living and b) had 300 other people fighting for it. What is up with Utah County? I see listings for decent studio apartments all the time in SLC, but in the UC, they are few and far between and anything that isn't mold/bug/rot/crazy roommate infested is taken within five minutes of being listed (rarely for less than $700). Just what kind of salary is everyone else in the valley making? Is everyone else loaded and I missed the salary gravy bunny (at our house, gravy comes in a bunny serving dish that is my favorite)? I am confused - last time I job hunted around here, the salary range was not that great. How is it that I have a master's degree and I can't afford a decent place to live on my own - or is that too much to ask for?

Add onto all that a strange emotional factor that seems to have come out of nowhere. After months of searching and trying to decide if I can handle living with roommates because of inflated rent, I realized that I don't really belong anywhere. I have this urge to nest and settle down but the truth is, I have no place to be. I don't want to live the rest of my life in a dingy basement in a college town I don't belong in, and I will never be able to afford to live where I want on the low salary of a job I love. This is ridiculous - I have nothing to tie me down and I could move to Malta if I wanted to, yet I feel like if I did, I would just want to come back home. Except that I don't HAVE a home.

I realize every choice in life comes with some sacrifices - but do they have to be such important ones? If you had to choose one:
  • Sanity - give up any and all amenities in order to afford a place to live (no more Sonic Happy Hour - nooooooo!)
  • Health (would you like mold with that affordable rental?)
  • Social life (I always end up with roommates that are all up in my business)
  • Privacy (i.e. total isolation in Spinsterville)
Which one would you choose?

Thursday, August 21, 2008

How mushrooms can save the world

To be honest, it's not all that hard to believe that a mushroom can do more for the environment than Al Gore.



I love how this guy found a natural solution to dealing with pests and possibly the key to restoring natural environmental factors to an increasingly congested and over-developed world. I love stuff like this - it gives me hope that indeed by small and simple things are great things brought to pass. If Al Gore's self-promoting over-propagandized antics will get people to start conserving and become more conscious of the environment (something i've been trying to get people to do since sixth-grade), then I'm all for it.

I like this mushroom guy - researching natural solutions has the potential to actually do some good - unlike sending that Noah Wylie money so he can save the polar bears.

Monday, August 11, 2008

missing out

i HATE when this happens. i was looking up concerts and noticed that jack johnson and rogue wave are playing with a new guy. someone named neil halstead. i looked him up to have a listen, as i'm wont to do when i see bands i like playing with bands i've never heard of. i really like him. he reminds me of alexi murdoch, sufjan stevens, nick drake and iron & wine all kind of rolled into one, lovely, glorious listen. so i looked up his albums and lo and behold, i almost bought sleeping on the roads years ago! i hate it when this happens! i could have been enjoying the smooth sounds of neil this whole time had i not forgotten to buy that album back in the day. i love getting the early scoop on unknown artists - and this guy does not disappoint (if you like the above listed artists, you'll probably like neil). i recommend the songs "witless or wise" and "oh mighty engine" for your listening pleasure.

it's not too late - i guess i'll just have to listen to both of his albums now to make up for lost time.