Fumie Kumatani: Jungle -A Lush Load-

Posted on April 7, 2025 by Stupidity Hole

One listen.

Not sure where I was going with this one. Sort of just describing the song, sort of trying not to.

Fumie Kumatani’s (“熊谷文恵”) “Jungle -A Lush Load-” is from Phantasy Star Online Songs of RAGOL Odyssey -Soundtrack EPISODE 1&2- and Phantasy Star Music Collection 2000-2007. The song is used in Phantasy Star Online Episode 1.

I hope you enjoy.

—

As steady beat plays out soft and hard, and seemingly relaxed, various sounds drift in here and there. They play background, soft, gentle, quiet, relaxed. Among them, keys touch their moments, and something seems to rise underneath. Rise or warp.

Another sound, perhaps akin to strings marks its moments and flows onward. It carries the grandness of it all, but as a low sort of drama. Soon that warp comes back, seemingly threatening to take over.

More sound comes in, draws long and short at the same time, and there’s an unease coming through. This is all sorts of refreshing, but something is off. Something is lurking there, and pressing on, but it doesn’t quite come to prominence, though it almost does.

A return to how it was, and those keys drift on. More percussion is apparent this time, keeping flow, keeping things busy as everything moves at a very intentional pace. The sounds remain cool and peaceful, and perhaps instill a sense of wonder, and an urging comes forward. An urging to move, to keep moving. To stay focused on it all, whatever it is that lies ahead.

Sounds ring out, and that unease returns. It lurks and looks to press in, but once more it doesn’t quite come to prominence, and everything fades out as the song ends.

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 1478: Don’t Care so Much

Posted on April 7, 2025 by Stupidity Hole

Got stuff to do and… well, I’m not sure I care right now. It has already been a morning and I just want to get to the end of the day. It’s too bright outside. It’s too dark inside. Where is the bed in which I want to lie? I want to lie in bed and relax a bit, but I cannot. Have too much going on and not enough time to get it all done.

Before all of that, however, it’s time to not care. It’s time to  hurt and work it all out and get on with the getting on, and I wonder if there is actually much going on at the moment or if there is nothing. I still want to wake up and have all of this be a bad dream, but that’s not going to happen and I need to keep persevering. I need to keep on going on.

But right now I’m sitting in a room, banging away on the keyboard. I’m trying to work some stuff out and then get on with the day, and I think I can do that. Noticing some stuff here and there that will go into the pile of things I need to take care of, and I’ll get through it and I’ll get to the end of the day at some point, but to be honest it doesn’t feel that I will. However, I always do. I’m lucky in some ways, and I think this is definitely one of them.

Now if only that luck would mean I somehow win a lot of money so I don’t have to worry about  asking people to help me out.

But even beyond all of saying that, I sit here, I can type. I’m getting a bit better. It’s slow, and it’s rather sudden, but I have to say, it’s nice.

I can type, I can write, and it’s all coming back, but the ache remains. It’ll take a long time, but I’ll get there. I’ll be okay. Always am when it comes to matters of the heart. Just need to keep on going.

The other day I met up with a friend of mine. After the interview, and we went for drinks. I was venting a lot, but I had more fun and was happier than I had been in a long time. I’ve been feeling less drained, too, and to be honest I feel bad about that. I feel bad about being happy and I feel bad about not feeling drained, and I don’t know why. Well, I do know why; it’s pretty obvious, but I keep on going. I keep on trying to get done what I can get done, and I need to keep working on myself, and I will. But I’m trying to not be as I was about it last time. That’s my hope. I want to avoid that, and I think I can, but we’ll see.

But today I don’t care so much.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 05:33:78

Quick write and it’s okay, but there was some serious stretching in places.

Written at work.

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Benjamin Briggs: Climb my Mountain, This High

Posted on April 7, 2025 by Stupidity Hole

One listen.

Heard the opening of this song this morning, decided to hold on it until I could write about it, which was just now. I wasn’t sure what would come forward which is good. No notions or expectations other than trying to get across the song in some manner, and I feel I succeeded in that regard.

Benjamin Briggs’ “Climb my Mountain, This High” is from Threshold Of A Dream: A Musical Interpretation Of The Legend Of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. As per the title, the album is a tribute album covering the music of Link’s Awakening, and Benjamin Briggs reinterpreted “Tal Tal Mountain Range“.

I hope you enjoy.

—

Steady is the beat whilst low sounds carefully breathe. A dramatic melody is established, and a leading sound comes in and starts climbing. The beat gets busy, seems to explode, but then it settles when the melody shifts. There’s adventure here, but there’s also danger. But there’s also conviction.

The leading sound has disappeared, or at least changed into something else, and through this the song starts building and building, and it becomes grandiose, almost, but then pulls back, if only a little.

Here there’s a reflection of that opening, and some sounds are more distorted, but it’s all much more present. A moment is looped and in comes through with confidence and and then pulls away. Things are minimal once more, and it’s all looking at the climb and the experience, and the sounds keep on shifting and changing as they progress and move on that steady beat.

It all seems quite reflective of something. It seems steady, and it all keeps going as it becomes muted, and the danger seems to lift. Clouds seem to clear, and there’s some success; some satisfaction in it all, as a goal is reached just before the song ends.

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Level 99: No Matter Where You go, This Will Always be Home

Posted on April 6, 2025 by Stupidity Hole

One listen.

I heard this song a couple of hours ago, decided to write about it. It’s pretty pleasant. Pretty straightforward, and that’s all it needs to be. I went in, did my best to capture that, and not sure that I did well, but something came forward and so that something is what I wrote about.

Level 99’s “No Matter Where You go, This Will Always be Home”, a cover? adaptation? of “Hometown”, from Mega Man Battle Network, is from For Everlasting Peace: 25 Years of Mega Man, a tribute album celebrating… 25 years… of Mega Man games…

I hope you enjoy.

—

Light, joyous guitar stirs and plays easy and relaxed. It moves through lowering and rising, and seems to reminisce. It moves through the space with some sort of fun, pauses, plays smooth, plays easy.

A moment that seems like a chorus fills out and it remains joyous. It remains happy, but there’s something a little sad in this. There’s some longing, even when it all fills out and becomes carefree, and gliding, almost.

That opening melody returns and guitar seems to cascade around, and it’s almost like driving. It’s like moving, and remembering it all, and it all flows. It all comes back, and brings innocence forward. Innocence and joy, laughter, annoyance, all those things we miss when we think of the past.

A solo of sorts comes in and it doesn’t break the mood. It continues on and interweaves the mood and imagery in a specific way, almost to see where all the memories come together, and almost to bring them to the present.

Still, that longing remains. That sadness is there, because these days will eventually come to an end, and they had before, but there’s still fun to be had, so the fun continues as the song ends.

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Marlborough Hotel

Posted on April 6, 2025 by Stupidity Hole

The Marlborough Hotel (AKA The Marly) is near my work. I think that, since I’ve been able to, I’ve been in there maybe ten times. Possibly fifteen, but I think ten at most. Most times I’ve been there, however, have been pretty important and entirely meaningless at the same time.

At this stage, I’m not sure if I’ll go in there again. I don’t have much of a desire to, really. It’s nice enough, but I prefer other places.

This is my submission into the three hundred-and-forty-third Lens-Artists Photo Challenge. The theme for this one is “Seen on my Last Outing“.

This was taken shortly after this photo, when I was walking back to work. Figured I’d get a photo of the sign. It looked interesting at that particular moment. Beyond framing, not much more thought put into the photo.

The host of the Lens-Artists challenges cycles weekly between the following people:

Tina

Patti

Ann-Christine aka Leya

John Steiner

Sofia Alves

Anne Sandler

Egídio

Ritva

This one is curated by Leya. The next one is curated by Anne.

I recommend joining the community and participating in the challenges. They’re pretty straightforward, allow room for interpretation, and provide a good way to think about photography in general. If not, however, then at the very least you should check out what others submit to the challenges.

I hope you enjoy.

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Dry Space

Posted on April 5, 2025 by Stupidity Hole

There’s something unpleasant about this photo. I think it might be in how it sort of feels arid, or depressing. Saddening. Not sure.

I hope you enjoy.

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 1477: The Day has Passed

Posted on April 5, 2025 by Stupidity Hole

Anger days have started. Was probably going to happen eventually. Probably. Now I’m listening to something joyous and jaunty, after a good few hours of housework.

The day has passed, I’m sitting here doing nothing, I’m exceptionally tired. I’m worn out, and soon I’ll be heading out. That’ll be fine. That’ll be okay. Something to enjoy. Something to get behind.

Some days are easier than others, and some days are other than easier. Sometimes everything is fine and sometimes it’s not. I’m still in the early days so I’ve got to ride the waves out. Got to get other stuff done, too.

A job interview coming this week. Waiting to hear back about the other one. Research tomorrow. Research and all that stuff. Preparing. Probably should’ve done less work today, but work had to be done and so done it was. The house is a little cleaner and there will be some more tomorrow. Way it goes, really.

But right now I’m relaxing, or at least I’m trying to relax. I’m trying to unwind and not be angry. Gotta head out and enjoy myself and all that stuff. Hang out with some friendly people. See some music and get on with life, and then maybe life with get on with me.

I don’t like this, but I like this moment. O don’t like that I’m feeling more outgoing and a bit more energetic. I don’t like that and I don;t know why I don’t like that. Maybe it feels like a betrayal or something. But it’s nice.

I think back to the last time I was dumped and I was a wreck. Am a wreck this time around too, but I’m coping better. I don’t have much of a choice at the moment, really, but in the last few days I’ve had more energy and I’ve felt less tired, though I am tired. But among all the hurt, I’m feeling better. I’m feeling more like being around people, and it’s great.

Of course more hurt is going to come. I’m ready for it, but I’m not ready for it. You know it’ll hit and it always does, but no matter how much you know, it just always sucks. Way it goes, really. Can only keep on walking, keep on moving, keep on getting on with getting on. All those things.

But today is a nice day, and it seems so small and quiet, and peaceful. It’s not and I’m tired from cleaning and not getting enough sleep, but right now I feel like I can get on top of things still, and maybe that wave that I caught earlier this year is still pushing me along, and I can still write. Maybe I’ll be back on track sooner rather than later. Of course, it always comes down to “We’ll see”, and I still don’t know if I’m going to be homeless or not soon, but right now I feel good. Angry, but good, and maybe that’s enough for one day.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 07:16:08

Bit of a mess, but it organised into something that made sense, or at least makes sense to me right now.

Written at home.

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A View of the Area

Posted on April 4, 2025 by Stupidity Hole

Road, car, and mountains. Landscape with the encroaching urban suggested among nature.

This photo doesn’t quite capture how truly massive the area is, but it gives some of it, and I think that’s nice.

I hope you enjoy.

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 1476: Felt Better

Posted on April 4, 2025 by Stupidity Hole

Today I’ve been feeling okay. I’ve definitely felt better, but I’ve been feeling okay today. Get on my lunch, prepare to write and the anxiety started spiking. Why? This is not what I need right now. I need to write. I need to get my words out and unclutter my brain, so why is this now a difficult thing to do all of a sudden?

I think it’s the lack of sleep, really. But we’ll see. If I can get through being dumped, I can get through writing a bunch of words and forcing them into the world for all to see.

I can look at the plant in front of me and wonder as to how it is surviving as it is when it has burn marks on it, or rather, what looks to be burn marks. Really, it’s just from being stressed out, but those marks remain. Those marks won’t disappear unless the leaves are removed, giving room for new ones to grow through.

Huh.

I’m currently awaiting news of a new job, and of course I am hoping that it’s good news. I’m not holding my breath – I did not do well in the interview – but I still hope. It will be a significant challenge to handle, but I can do it. I know I can do it, because it’s something I can throw myself into and thrive in, and that’ll help a lot. It’ll help me stay focused on something, and I can cry fully and breakdown, and do nothing but focus on the job for a few weeks whilst I rebuild. Maybe this sudden anxiety is due to writing about this when strongly desiring to write about something else. I don’t know.

It’s an interesting day, at least. I am tired. I am worn out. I am going to head on home and relax, and unwind. Just take it easy… or not, because there is housework that needs doing and I’m the only one doing housework.

There are a lot of things that need doing and it’s going to be all on me, and I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think I am and that’s something I’m not particularly enthused about. I’ll find out soon enough, I guess, but before then it’s just not a good outlook. Just need to stick to trying to get things done. Don’t need to stay busy, or maybe I do.

So I’m waiting for what will hopefully be some good news. I don’t know what will happen from here. I don’t know where things will go, but I hope they will improve. I’ll keep working on it, of course. I’ll keep on writing and forcing myself through this, because I don’t have time to give up, and I don’t want to let myself give up either. I’ll get through this sudden spike of anxiety, and I’ll get some sleep tonight. Sleep will be good, but there’s a lot to do before then, so I am doing the things.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 06:58:65

More life stuff. Wonderful and all that.

Written at work.

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Widening Tree

Posted on April 3, 2025 by Stupidity Hole

A long day with tales worth telling… maybe.

For now, here’s a photo of a tree I’d been meaning to share for a while but hadn’t gone around to doing. It has an interesting shape and the lighting was right for this photo.

I hope you enjoy.

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