Michiko Naruke: Migratory Birds ~ Wandering Bird Scoundrels

Posted on February 15, 2021 by Stupidity Hole

I feel as though it has been too long since I last did one of these (about a month) and had been meaning to write about this song in some capacity for a week or so.

I think that if I sat down for a few hours to write about this bit of music I could encapsulate it much better. I wasn’t quite sure as to what I was trying to cover when I wrote what I’ve written here. I tried to express the sense of journeying in some manner and only covered a beginning of the journey which sort of makes sense, but the song’s use manages to cover more than just that.

I switched to trying to express what was happening with the instruments I don’t feel as though I did a good enough job there, even if this is a short writing.

The song isn’t the most complex work out there but I do feel I could have done better. Perhaps instead of just one listen I should have gone through the song a few times at the least.

Michiko Naruke’s (なるけみちこ) “Migratory Birds ~ Wandering Bird Scoundrels” (“渡り鳥無頼”) is from the seemingly western influenced Wild Arms Advanced 3rd Original Soundtrack, the soundtrack for Wild Arms Advanced 3rd.

I hope you enjoy.

—

Cymbals fade in and the land ahead presents itself. It all opens and it all presents itself as vast and expansive and the journey through it must commence.

Of course the journey is large but its steps are small, especially compared to what lies ahead. There’s preparation and determination and then the act of setting out; leaving home or wherever accommodation was considered regular and so drifting on off into the great unfamiliar land lies ahead. It is a journey vast and grand and the first steps are taken to head on out.

The dramatic nature of this journey shifts and moves. A determined and singular whistle rings out over stringed instruments. Bass comes in with percussion and the walking forward to wherever the next destination may lie follows on through. More strings come in as well as vocals and something like a xylophone, heightening the sense of the dramatic and signifying the grandness of the journey. At this point it seems grand on a personal level, though experience will show it to be small compared to the eventual grandness of what it ends up becoming.

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Hand on Ram

Posted on February 15, 2021 by Stupidity Hole

This sculpture is part of The J. F. Archibald Memorial Fountain.

The person in this photo is (from my understanding) meant to represent Pan, but it could instead be Aristaios. There’s conflicting information so I’m going to check out the plaques the next time I’m there and edit this if necessary.

I was trying to capture something akin to a sense of power or aggression when I took this photo. Not sure if I was successful, but I’m happy with how the contrast in shades came through, as well as how the shades help to highlight details of the sculpture.

I hope you enjoy.

 

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 889: Tired Lazy Race Against the Clock

Posted on February 15, 2021 by Stupidity Hole

Awake too early but need to race against the clock once more so here I am, doing that racing thing and hoping for the best.

I’m tired as I woke up earlier than the alarm and all that other stuff, but it’s not so bad There are worse thing out there that I could be experiencing. A bit of being tired is not too bad. It could be worse, it could be better, but I’m not suffering so I’m doing okay.

Therefore, from here on out I’m just going to ramble and hope that this all comes together in some sort of form that expresses itself with minimal input from me. Of course that is not going to happen and so I am finding that I need to steer the ship in order to get it to the dock, or something. However, other than that, this bit of writing will be devoid of metaphors, allegories and all that other stuff. This is just going to be pure waffling and therefore there will be no substance.

There will be no hidden meaning. There will be no overt meaning. There will be nothing to grab onto and therefore this bit of writing is not something that you’d want to rely on. You just see it and move on and that is the way that all of this goes. I am only writing in order to race the clock and lose horribly as I’m moving rather slowly, but at least the word counter is counting the words and therefore I can have a better idea of where I am up to and therefore something something and know when I need to stop rather than having to try and guess my way through all of this.

In writing up to this point I’m realising that perhaps I should have had some sort of plan as now I don’t really have anything to go off of and that might prove to be an issue as there is nothing I have at the moment to write about, even though this bit of writing still sticks to the original plan of these writing challenges. Still, it is posing a little bit of an issue as now I’m struggling and I’m starting to feel the lack of sleep and I need to keep on going, but I don’t know as to how much farther I can go, so I guess I’m putting myself in a position of disadvantage.

However, I’m sure that I can recover if I keep on going. I’m sure that I can keep on going and get this finished and wrapped up and then be done with it and therefore be in a position where I can move toward the next thing, whatever that next thing may be. Perhaps there will be some substance to this bit of writing, but of course I need to make sure I know where that substance is before it is applied. Maybe it is sitting behind the couch. Maybe.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 05:02:34

I hit a wall with this one.
Not sure what I was trying to do. Not sure of what my thought patterns were.

Written at home.

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Structural Bits

Posted on February 14, 2021 by Stupidity Hole

Another photo of part of The Sydney Opera House.

I think this was another photo where I was trying to show the Sydney Opera House as recognisably itself without showing in the way that it is most often seen. Not sure if I was successful, but I do like how this photo shows the differences in material and structure.

This is my submission into the one hundred-and-thirty-fifth Lens-Artists Photo Challenge.

The theme for this one is “Glimpse into Your World“.

As The Sydney Opera House recently entered into my world, I feel this counts.

The challenge is hosted by four people and cycles weekly:

Week 1 – Patti

Week 2 – Ann-Christine aka Leya

Week 3 – Amy

Week 4 – Tina

This week’s challenge is guest-curated by Sheetal of Sheetal Thinks Aloud. The next one will be curated by Patti.

The challenges are pretty fun and there’s a lot of room for interpretation that doesn’t get in the way of enjoyment. If you’re into photography, then I suggest participating, or at the least checking out what other people are submitting.

I hope you enjoy.

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 888: Word Counter not Counting

Posted on February 14, 2021 by Stupidity Hole

This is going to be an interesting writing as the word counter is not working at the moment and so I’m having difficulty discerning as to how far into the writing that I currently am. I’d prefer for it to work as I rely on it quite a lot, but it is not and so I go in blindly and hope for the best.

Well, not entirely blindly. There may be a lot of saving and checking, but the idea is to keep the time down and not let it go up, so it’s one of those “we’ll have to see” type of things.

To be honest, I don’t want to have to deal with this as it makes things a little too cumbersome. I’d rather the thing work and I’d rather it work the way that I require it to work. Instead of working it decided that it would not do so and now I’m stuck here and I feel as though I’m fumbling in an area that is increasing in its darkening and I’ve no torch. Of course this is something that I find rather annoying as I’d rather the thing work so I don’t have to worry about it not working and all that stuff. I don’t want this to drag out longer than it has to and of course if it has to drag out longer than it has to, well, I might just be a little more annoyed than I am letting on, or something.

What is the word count up to at this point? I don’t know; I’m metaphorically blind here. I probably was a little earlier too, but here I am not knowing as to what I am doing and what I am up to and so I keep on stumbling and hope for the best.

I could have reached the word count target by this point; I have no idea. I don’t know as to how much farther I need to go, or if I need to stop and start cutting some of the words out. I don’t want to find out so I’m just going to keep on going. Maybe if I go far enough, this will all loop on itself and I will end up going into a negative word count and then after that I will somehow end up at the required target for this bit of writing which just so happens to be in units of hundreds and a total of five units.

However, if that does not happen, then perhaps I will remain truly lost and therefore there will be no reprieve for me. If that is indeed the case, well… I guess I’ll have to find a way around this.

Of course, that will require a lot of thinking and sitting down and all of that other stuff. Of course I can do all that, but right now I think I would rather panic for no real reason as currently that seems more exciting to me.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 05:36:67

Still not working at this point.

I feel this has a certain focus to it. Perhaps not as strong as I’d hoped, but it remains an improvement over other recent bits of writing.

Written at home.

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Passing Cables

Posted on February 13, 2021 by Stupidity Hole

Not sure what I was trying to do when I took this photo.

I think the asymmetry is interesting, but… yeah. No idea.

Maybe it was an angle thing. Maybe trying to capture something closer to symmetry didn’t work from where I was standing.

On the plus side I get to claim that the implied symmetry suggests imagery outside of the frame without declaring it, or something similar.

I hope you enjoy.

 

 

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 887: Raining Heavily

Posted on February 13, 2021 by Stupidity Hole

It is raining and it is raining heavily.

Good thing that I’m inside at the moment. If I were outside, then I’d be caught in the downpour. Rather not be caught in the downpour. Rather be dry and inside and all of that other stuff. I guess it is a good then then that I’m inside at the moment.

Of course this creates some sort of oppression and so on and so forth, but it isn’t the worst thing that I could be experiencing at the moment and for that I am thankful. However, I still want to stomp my feet and bitterly complain about the situation I find myself in as that is so much more rewarding than not complaining at all..

That said, perhaps now is not the time to complain. Perhaps now is the time to rejoice. The heat is gone once more, but some of it remains in the room. Soon it will filter out and I won’t have to worry about it for a few more days, not that I had to worry about it before today, but that’s beside the point, or away from the point. It is so far away from the point that it is not even worth mentioning within the same sentence of the point. It is so far gone that I don’t even know as to what it was that I was saying that I need not worry about.

And now the rain really comes in heavily and sounds rather violent in its downpour, but it still remains pleasing in some manner. It feels kind of peaceful. It brings in a cool change and I get to sit here and revel in a temporary reprieve that is, of course, lovely in some manner.

Listening to some more relaxed music helps to paint a scene of which I am a part. The scene has a certain sense of cool where everything fits into place and I move around smoothly, though it’s not overly obvious. there has to be some sort of natural feel to the scene so that it doesn’t come off that I’m exuding coolness. Well, that does need to be apparent, but it needs to not feel forced. It needs to feel natural, so there needs to be some sort of forcing for it to feel natural, or something. Anyway, that is what is happening. Sure, I might not be in some sort of hip apartment and my window may have the view of a fence, a carport ceiling and some of someone’s house, but the idea and the atmosphere remains, so therefore I can keep on living in the concept and embrace it and be part of the hip ideologue.

Of course my COFFEE needs to be brewed at the right temperature in order for the charade to continue and perhaps it was not this morning, buy still I can continue to pretend and continue to pretend I shall, for I want to be a fraud embracing fraudulence.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 06:27:23

It was raining quite heavily this morning and that influenced this writing.

I think next time I might try for a bit more focus.

Written at home.

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 886: Become Part of the Bed

Posted on February 12, 2021 by Stupidity Hole

Feeling weak but warming up. It is still the yawning of the earth and everything is getting ready to complete some sort of function for the day.

I’ve been awake long enough to be alert, but I’m just starting now. It is an improvement, though of course it will taper off in roughly seven minutes. That’s fine. At least I’m doing something now and not in seven minutes’ time.

That being said, there will be plenty of relaxation today. There always needs to be as I’m one who likes to relax and therefore I might just lie on the bed until I become part of it and continue my life as some sort of combination of bed and person.

Half-bed, half-person, all elsewhere.

That would be the optimal way to be, though I wouldn’t like it all the time, or even most of the time now that I think about it. How would I get around? I’d need people to carry me places. Sure, I’d be lying down most of the time, but the ceiling (and sometimes the interior of the roof of a truck) would get mighty boring after a while. Sure, I could try and be upright and go outside, but what if I fall over? What if I’d have to wait to be picked up, thus having to deal with the pain and indignity of facing downward for a long time and not seeing much due to also having my face touching the ground and being a big person and bed hybrid, thus creating a bit of shadow around the area that I’d be facing and, due to the proximity of face to ground, not really being able to see anything at all?

I clearly have not thought this out. I really should have spent a bit more time thinking about the consequences of this. I guess there will be no becoming one with the bed today and instead I’ll sit here and work on things and get them out of the way. There will be occasional standing, of course, as I don’t want to be seated all day if I can avoid being seated. Worse things to happen out there, but this still remains something I can avoid so long as I remain diligent and keep on pushing on through it all and get on track with some other things and go for a walk and all of that other stuff that I need to (and should) do.

There will be no combining with the bed today. This is something that shall be put off and I shall look at doing it another day, unless I don’t, in which case I won’t, but still. I will work to avoid it and make sure that it does not happen. No changing of the minds and all that stuff. No going back. I don’t want to live my life as part of a bed as it doesn’t seem too great.

Maybe I could combine with my chair instead.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 07:23:07

This was kind of fun to think about.
Not sure if it makes for good reading.

Written at home.

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Support Arch

Posted on February 11, 2021 by Stupidity Hole

More of The ANZAC Bridge.

I’ve taken similar photos, but it has been a while and I think this one is just different enough.

I really like the sort of “sprawling” appearance of the cables, as well as it appears to stretch on with just the one arch as support.

This is my submission into Leanne Cole‘s “Monochrome Madness” for this week.
I suggest checking out Leanne’s photography, as well as checking out what other people submit.

A lot of what people are submitting will likely end up here.

I hope you enjoy.

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 885: Tired Rambling

Posted on February 11, 2021 by Stupidity Hole

So I’ve been sitting here for far too long, staring off into nothingness. It is now into the afternoon and I’m finally lighting up and getting ready to power on and get things done. There is a lot to get done.

I feel as though a second coffee would be great to have right now, but of course that i0s not going to happen. I need to be functional to some extent. Whether that extent extends far enough for me to be functional, something something and now we’re going on one of those wanderings where little will make sense beyond this point as I’m sleepy and have little else to go off, so brace yourself as this is now about to happen. This will all take off and I will find the way to the end and you get the idea.

So I was going for a walk the other day when I just so happened upon a sign. I was unable to make out what the sing said and the closer I put my eyes to its words, the farther and more distant they became. This of course was not out of the ordinary, for I was in the void, but they were not moving and I also was quite still when I was looking at this sign.

Of course eventually I turned away and kept on walking. I had other things to think about and the frog in me was looking to get out, which it did. It burst right out of my body and it was not a pleasant sight, but I was fine.

Once I turned the corner and was heading to the shops the frog looked around and wandered as to what it was to do now that it was immersed in light and not an area that one could consider as being shaded. I could not offer it any answers and it could not offer any answers to itself, so, it being the sensible frog that it was, grew its wings and flew on off in search of a place with a bit more moisture.

I continued on and hoped that the legs would not combine too much as I needed them to keep with my increasing forward momentum and I was not looking looking forward to engaging in a spinning momentum. I still had things I needed to take care of and this was not the time to not be able to take care of things.

Of course I didn’t have much of a say in it and so I sat down and pondered the mystery of it all. Then, when the time was right, I struck forth and dodge the issues that plagued my being. Therefore, there was a sense of success in what I had and had not done and therefore I felt powerful, but it was only for a brief moment and brief moments do not last long, so I headed on home and had a big and long rest.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 05:22:81

Faster than yesterday.
Not great writing.

Written at home.

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