The Heart

The heart is a muscle

The most vital of vitals

Ceaseless until forever quieted

A simple set of motions

Crucial to all others

And yet

The heart is so much more

The heart is alive

It yearns 

It breaks

It heals

It speaks

It hides

It questions

It answers

The heart is a tattoo

The marks, permanent

Created through pain

Expressive, a thing of beauty

It can be individual, unique 

It can be a copy, a passing fad

Not every one is easy to understand

The meaning behind it's shape

It's placement

It's colour

Could be more than you could every understand

The heart is a coin

Try your luck

One choice or another

Flipping it covers one face

But that doesn't mean it's not still there

You long for one option the moment it hit the air

It doesn't always land on the side you really wanted

Even if it may be hard to pick up off the ground afterwards

You can always choose to flip again

When you feel ready

The heart is a box

Some are locked

Or chained down by terrible weight

It can be filled with treasures, or sadly empty

Housing such agonizing joy

Such delicious pain

The heart is a beast

Many faced

It is a lion 

With a terrible bite and harsh tone

It is a porcupine

Withdrawn within itself, only to hurt those nearby

It is a tortoise

Defending through solitude, an unbreakable, unreadable wall

It is a fawn

Speaking only the softest of words, it is delicate, and loving

The governing face, constantly shifting

Constantly combining with another aspect

An everchanging beast

The heart is a muscle

But it is so much more

Steam Powered Giraffe

In one of my earlier music posts, I mentioned a massive library trade I did with a friend. Caro Emerald remains one of my favourite artists to this day. Another fantastic group that I was exposed to in this exchange is Steam Powered Giraffe. If you think the name is strange, you should see them perform. The group got together as a few people that were really interested in pantomime and music. They created stage personas, put on a ton of makeup to make themselves look like actual robots, and donned their best Victorian steampunk attire (Their website even has fictional histories about each stage character). Thus, the band was born.

Their music is incredibly complex musically, with nods to barbershop quartets, dubstep, electronic, ballads, and a number of other musical styles. They use a variety of instruments to add a robotic flavour to their sound, but the band really shines in its live performances. The robotic motion is retained even while singing, there is a ton of oddball comedy, and they banter with each other between songs.

In addition to being musically amazing, one of the members also does all of the art for the group, with a style that reminds me of Tim Burton. This band member is also interesting to me because they are openly transsexual. With my sibling being a member of a similar community, finding this out about a member of one of my favourite bands gave me a little swell of pride. With new laws being passed in the States that are giving the LGTB*A (I don't know them all off hand, sorry) community more rights, I'm proud of those who have been open about who they are and brave the storm of bigots before acceptance was more widely done.

If you're looking for a musically talented band, exceptional makeup artists, and genuinely funny people and performers, check out Steam Powered Giraffe. Their music is well worth a buy. 

Toodles!

The Social Antisocial

Being an introvert makes life…interesting. I value my personal time, My hobbies are my passion, and I have a hard time enjoying new activities that I didn’t decide to pursue.

Simultaneously, I love spending my personal time with others, meeting people with similar hobbies, and discovering things that I normally wouldn't have thought to try.

Another paradoxical part of me is how my personal space fluctuates. Depending on the situation and the people involved, I can either have no bubble whatsoever and love physical contact, or absolutely despise having people near me. I developed a curious tick when I was younger. Having people that I don't implicitly trust standing behind me makes me physically uncomfortable, to the point where I will shiver and have to turn to at least see them in my peripheral vision. My best guess is that it came from many years of being beat up, and I can't shake it now.

Anyway, being socially antisocial is something I've come to realize a lot of people I know also feel. It's the need to be around people, to know that you're not alone. It's simultaneously the need to not have people interact with you, to have them leave you to your thoughts. Sometimes this also involves being left physically alone, other times it requires immense amounts of cuddling. If you learn how to read the small signs in these odd people, you can make their lives much better. You'll know when to give them a hug, a light touch on the shoulder, or when to sit next to them, a foot away, on the opposite side of the room. It varies, sorry, people aren't an exact science (no matter how much I would love them to be sometimes).

One thing to take away from this as well is to find out if you are a physical contact type of person. There are more of us out there than you think, and we really want you to hug us. There's literally nothing sexual in it unless you want there to be, but we really want that skin contact. 

A lifelong book

Reading subtle texts

Each twist and turn portraying an idea

Each twist and turn hiding an emotion

Easily shown

Easily misread

The mass of information is overwhelming

To learn to read

An invaluable skill

To finish just one takes a lifetime

A face makes for the greatest book

Toodles!

Cast Iron Teaware

One of my proudest purchases to my tea collection is my cast iron teapot. I freakin' love that thing. It makes 5 cups of tea at a time (which I usually drink entirely myself), keeps the tea hot for an exceptionally long time, and is beautifully designed. I use mine exclusively for green and oolong teas to preserve the curing coat it's acquired (I'll talk about it later, don't worry), though mine is enamelled on the inside, so it isn't necessary if you want to make other kinds of tea in yours.

Cast iron, or tetsubin, teapots originally was introduced to Japan by the Chinese in the mid-17th century. They served as a way to boil water, brew sencha (the most common tea made at the time), and provide warmth and humidity in a room. Sencha green tea became so popular around this time that people were looking for less expensive teapots and kettles. Cast iron was thought to create the best tasting boiled water, and became hugely popular throughout all casts of Japanese class. There are also many tea ceremonies that use a cast iron pot as either the centrepiece for brewing or as a receptacle for boiling and holding water.

Be forewarned. Cast iron teapots are expensive. If they aren't, the metal isn't of a good quality and doesn't retain heat well. Don't skimp on the price when it comes to a cast iron teapot. The sturdiness of the material means that the pot should last you generations with proper care. It is often a tradition to pass down a tetsubin as a family heirloom, passing down the history of the family along with the responsibility of its care and continuation. After each use, the pot should be rinsed with water (DO NOT USE SOAP), drained, and dried by hand immediately. This will prevent rusting and allow you to keep the teapot for years to come.

Fun fact: Cast iron teacups are not the best idea. They get STUPIDLY hot. But they look so pretty...

My personal joy

Toodles!

Borderlands 1: DLC

After playing through Borderlands (several times, with many, MANY, characters), I was ecstatic to discover that Gearbox had released a bunch of campaign DLC for the game.

The first DLC was Dr. Ned's Zombie Island. This was an amazing addition to the game. There are many jokes made at zombie survival games throughout the campaign, like waiting for an elevator to function while zombies "suddenly" discover your position. New enemies were added, including the beloved Loot Chest wearing bruisers, though the majority of your enemies are zombified bandits. The midget zombies are terrifying, just a heads up. Fast little buggers... A fairly solid storyline accompanies the Halloween-esk theme, and is, as always with Borderlands, hilariously funny.

The second DLC was Mad Moxxi's Underdome. While I enjoy Mad Moxxi's... ahem... "character", this DLC was very disappointing to me. I do genuinely enjoy Moxxi as an NPC, she quite funny and adds so much innuendo to the fights (especially if you play as Lilith). Gearbox attempted to create an arena DLC for the game, focusing entirely on fighting back waves of enemies for freakin massive amounts of time. The concept was sound, but with how long it actually took to reach each checkpoint, how much progress you lost if you were downed, and the lacklustre loot you received from the battles, the DLC was not worth the time. Beating the ENTIRE thing awarded you with one skill point per playthrough difficulty. While valuable, it wasn't worth the literal hours you spent fighting. 

Then came General Knox's Secret Armoury. The crown jewel of the DLC pack. Massive storyline (that also plays a large role in the other games), lots of new areas, tons of new enemies, fantastic loot drops, and even new vehicles for you to drive around in. The Armoury set the standard that Borderlands 2 was held up to. It was by far the best DLC, with a lot of effort poured into it by Gearbox.

After the massive success of The Secret Armoury, Gearbox went in a very different direction for the final DLC. Claptrap's Robolution was the last gift to the Borderlands game, focusing on fun combat and humour. There are many new enemies with different combat strategies, a playful storyline following the robotic uprising, and WAY more guns than you'll have inventory space for. The Robolution does a better job at keeping you in new areas instead of revisiting old ones repeatedly (one of the few downsides of The Secret Armoury).

The DLC is almost always sold at this point as a bundle, so you get all four for a good price. The Underdome is probably best to just skip, but the other three are well worth a few playthroughs.

Remember, NO REFUNDS (in the best Slavic accent I can muster)

Toodles!

Gozzys Dungeon Generator

One of my incredibly nerdy hobbies is playing Dungeons and Dragons (or Pathfinder) with some of my old friends. Playing DnD has been something that I've enjoyed for a number of years now, and I've even tried my hand at running a campaign a few times. Running a game is so drastically different to playing in one. The amount of rules you need to have mostly memorized is significantly higher. You need to have enemies, loot, NPC's, and locations available at a moments notice.

On the note of locations, I discovered an online tool that is quite useful for those of you looking to run a game. Gozzys is a website that has a number of random map creators. It can make dungeons, caves, and general wilderness maps quickly and easily. It has a bunch of settings for you to tweak the size, amount, and spacing of large areas or rooms, the overall size and randomness of the layout, and even the tile set you'd prefer to use.

The Dungeon Generator creates room, hallways, marks the dungeon entrance, and adds in doors locations. Here are a few examples of what the Dungeon Generator can do, using the default settings.

If you need a little help making maps, or just need to shave a little time off your prep (there's a lot to do), feel free to give Gozzys a go.

Toodles!

Pride

I have been told (by those much more qualified in psychology than myself) that I am a self-sabotaging perfectionist. What this means is that I would rather not attempt something and fail through inaction than to make an attempt and get it wrong. Part of why I have this mindset is how I was raised. The outcome is what matters, not the effort. If I received at good mark in school, I was asked by my parents why I didn't do it perfectly, made to focus on the mistakes I made instead of the accomplishments I had achieved. It probably doesn't help that I became a musician, where getting something almost all right is unacceptable. Perfection, or as near as possible to perfection, is expected.

Now, onto the matter at hand. Being a perfectionist means that when I actually attempt something, I put my all into it. I take huge pride in the things I do, especially the things I believe I do well. Teaching percussion is one of those things. Another is being able to help people physically with my knowledge of reflexology and massage (though I have a TON left to learn in those areas). An obvious one is my knowledge of tea. And a big one is my ability to organize and make things efficient. When someone belittles or attacks my efforts in one of these areas, it is a huge assault on my pride. These things are areas of my character that I believe are fairly core to my being, and having someone say that my efforts are poorly done or worthless cuts me to my core.

What makes each individual person unique is what they define as their core beliefs. You can always tell when someone is discussing something that is foundational to them. They are more energetic, more passionate. They have a look in their eyes that even the untrained can see. What you need to careful of is what you say to people before you understand what these beliefs are for them. Something this personal usually takes time to unearth, with some beliefs being closer to the surface than others. The danger is that you may offend someone by calling them down on something that they feel strongly about.

Be careful when you say something with sarcasm or with the intention of being a light joke. You never know when you might be spitting in the face of their god (literally or otherwise).

Toodles!

Krazy Kitchen Kaptures

Like in a kitchen is hard work, to say the least. But there are also many moments of hilarity, frustration, and just plain old confusion. Here's a few moments from the craziness I call home right now.  

The struggle that occurs multiple times a day: Apron Knots

Dish pit boredom at its finest. DON'T leave the dish monkeys alone with nothing to do...

Hairnets are so last season

When the most beautiful rack of trays is immediately followed by OCD hell

🎼 Do you wanna build a snowman? 🎶

Meet the freezer after a shipment arrived. This is a small shipment.

Just remember, be nice to your kitchen staff, we have chocolate snowmen. And a lot of bleach...

Toodles!

Super Smash Brothers: DS

I grew up playing the Smash Bros games. All the way back on the N64, where Kirby had a overpowered throw and Samus could be shocked into being naked. Then came the GameCube version, with massive improvements to gameplay and the best controller Nintendo has ever made. Next came the Wii version, with better physics, a good campaign and a variety of characters (Pit and Sonic can burn, I hate them so much). Now, technology has brought us Super Smash Brothers DS and WiiU.

While the character roster is a little disappointing compared to the massive improvements each previous game had, there are still a large variety of playstyles to choose from, although Nintendo did bite the DLC bullet and is releasing other characters as extras that cost money). The game balance is much better, with characters actually tuned to their playstyles (Looking at you, Metaknight). Like previous Smash Bros games, it takes some getting used to with the new kit tweaks, gravity and physics alterations, and item changes.

The DS controls make sense, and are fairly comfortable. The shoulder buttons are a little awkward, as you need to be able to hit all the buttons quickly to fight effectively. I find myself constantly sliding my volume up when I play, though that just may be an unfortunate combination of my hand size with how I had the DS.

The addition of customizable move sets and power levels makes the game interesting, even with a character you know well. You can make a fast character like Shiek hit like a truck, but take a lot of damage in return, or turn King DeeDeeDee into a super tank that just won't die. The Mii character has entirely player chosen B moves, so you can make them fit your own playstyle better. I personally love the Fighter Mii with damage customization. That forward smash... Ouch.

While the game is fun and continues to be a good addition to the Smash Bros collection, the game will always shine best when playing with other people or through competitive play. Solo play against the various computer modes gets a little stale after a while. 

Smash Bros will continue to do what it has always done: Be the best cross-game, platformer, fighting game around (Playstation All-Stars was a disaster). 

Toodles!

Inside Out

Pixar is one of those can make you care about anything. A crow, a lamp, and now they make you care about a volcano. When I went to see Inside Out in theatres, I was warned that the movie gets very real on an emotional level and that s lot of people cried during it. No one warned me about the roller coaster that was the Lava Song. I cared about a talking (well, singing) volcano. I shared in his hope and pain and joy. A VOLCANO. Darn you Pixar, for making me almost cry during your short, and right before an entire movie about emotions.

Inside Out follows a portion of the life of a young girl, where her family moves away from her hometown to live in New York. A large portion of the movie takes ace inside the girl's head, where her core emotions of Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust are given personifications. These emotions go about their daily life and essentially "run" the girl.

The movie does a very good job of showing how major life changes, like moving as a child, can alter one's personality, how depression can entirely shut down someone, or how memories change over time. It's a great movie for kids (though a lot will go over their heads), and Pixar never fails to make its movies entertaining for adults as well.

Inside Out is definitely worth going to see. Bring a cuddly friend and some tissues. 

Plus, singing volcanos!

Toodles!

Thinkgeek

If it isn't apparent by now, I'm a nerd. As such, I also love nerdy things. Some of my favourite presents I receive for holidays (or just buy for myself when I have the money) are gadgets, do-dads, or nerd-type things. And what self-respecting nerd doesn't shop for stuff online?

Behold! Thinkgeek enters! It's a website that I've had bookmarked on my homepage for years now. Even when I don't have any money to spend, I still like to see what new products they bring out. Although the selection had become smaller over the years, the quality of products is great. They also have exceptional customer support. I once received an item that it damaged in shipping, and they sent me a new one immediately, no charge. As a Canadian ordering things from an American website, that's a big deal.

Like most stores and websites now, Thinkgeek offers a loyalty points program that you can redeem for specific products around the site. They also offer discounts and deals to their customers whether they are signed up members or not. They often have free stuff too!

Thinkgeek is staffed by fun people who care about their customer base, and was recently acquired by GameStop (who thankfully outbid Hot Topic for ownership). Give the site a browse, if not an order. And say hi to Timmy the monkey. 

Toodles!

An Older Thought, Renewed

Coming up with something profound to write about each Monday can prove to be a bit of a challenge. After a long day at work and a rough day for the people close to me, I find myself lacking the inspiration to find something new to write. Instead, I'll revisit something older. I recently found a piece of poetry that I wrote years ago. After reading it again, I tweaked it slightly and found it to be oddly accurate to my current situation with Kitten.

Each night I lay here

Having one sided conversations

Posing questions without answers.

My daily monotony fills my head

I yearn to hear your voice

Hearing mine makes you pout.

All I have are fleeting moments

A handful of pixels

An armful of air.

I sit at night writing

Hoping my rambling makes you smile. 

I curse the same system I rely on

For not bringing back your words

Your voice

Your smile. 

All I know is that while I lay here

Thinking of questions for the air in my arms,

I hope you lie there, having one sided conversations.

Toodles!

Tea with a Purpose

There are many times that a friend will come up to me with a problem, physical or mental, and one of my first responses will be, "I have a tea for that." I am a firm believer in herbal medicine, but it definitely needs to be used correctly. It is much more effective as a preventative measure, helping to maintain your physical and mental wellbeing over time. If you want to keep your cardiovascular system in better shape, drink black tea. If you have a heart attack, go to a doctor. There's no replacement for proper medical care when actions need to be taken quickly.

As herbs affect each person differently, there is no foolproof way to maintain anything without trying it out first, but plants generally have similar effects for each person. Mint is a good muscle relaxant, and is often associated with calm or sleep in the brain. Liquorice root can be used to help sooth an upset stomach or digestive system (though I personally hate the taste of it). Raspberry leaves help maintain healthy skin, and have also been shown to help new mothers' skin recover after giving birth.

The list of what herbal teas can do for you goes on and on. There are so many plants in the world, we don't fully understand what they all do and are constantly discovering new uses for them. Beyond physical effects, we create associations in our brain between smells or tastes and emotion.  Scent is actually one of the strongest senses when it comes to creating memories. Jasmine tea (specifically Jasmine Silvery Pearl, a Chinese green tea) is my go to for relaxing after a hard day. No matter how much shit has gone down, after the second infusion, I feel myself just breath and let go of the stress. When I need to wake up, Chocolate Mint Keemun tea never fails. It also has the added benefit of not getting bitter if I get busy and forget about it. Each tea develops its own specific sets of circumstances you drink them under, over time. I even have specific teapots and cups for certain teas (Matcha looks so cool in a clear glass mug).

Find your teas' purpose. You never know when the right cup of something at the right time can turn a day for the better.

Toodles!

Box Man

Earlier this week, for three days the kitchen was running on one of our two hot water heaters. While one giant water heater is enough to run all the sinks and taps in the building, it cannot handle our industrial sized dishwasher, (who had been loving dubbed Enrique many years before I began working here). So the dish monkeys have been washing the dishes without the aid of Enrique and his wonderful, magical cleansing cycle. All. The dishes. That's over 400 complete sets of cutlery, trays, cups, and bowls at every meal. Don't even get me started on how much I hate oatmeal. This also doesn't factor in the dishes created through food prep and cooking.

Needless to say, the dish monkeys are a little tired. And extremely loopy. One broke down into hysterical laughter for a good minute. Another teared up and hugged EVERYONE when they discovered we were using disposable plates for the one meal.

Last week brought the world "The List". This week, I bring you the next evolution of bored kitchen workers: Box Man.

There's a face on the box, you just can't see it.

A small attempt at moving (Hopping was the only option) left Box Man helpless.

And then Box Man freed his inner child.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When life takes away your dishwasher, shove a coworker into a box and watch him fall over.

Toodles!

Lie to Me

As someone who constantly studies how people interact, facial expressions are something I pay close attention to. Combined with the words people choose, how they speak them, and larger body language, you can learn a lot about a person without actually knowing them personally. There are obviously variations on these things between each person, but there are also many expressions that are universal. They apply to everyone, regardless of gender, race, culture, or age.

You may be asking why I'm talking about this on my TV and Movie post. There is a show that I really enjoy called Lie To Me. It's centred around a group of consultants that help people and organizations solve problems. They do this through their specialization in knowing how people act and speak, and how that correlates with telling the truth or lying.

The characters are witty and personable (and one is British, for you accent junkies out there). As the seasons progress, the characters grow in meaningful ways and you can easily grow attached to some of their personalities. The science behind the show is fairly easy to get behind, and is accurate as far as I can tell. Be warned, you'll start calling out your friends on manipulators and false answers after watching this show. Issues and crisis that occur each episode are interesting, and usually leave you guessing until near the end of the episode.

Seriously, check this show out. It's smart, funny, and interesting. What more could you want?

Toodles!

Joshua Radin

It's amazing how music can affect so many aspects of your life. A number of years ago, I was dating a girl and I listened to an artist all the time when she was around. I'd sing along with the songs for her. She'd sing to me too, but was fairly tone deaf. It was hard to listen to as a music student. Regardless, I had built up the association between our relationship and the songs. When we broke up, I couldn't listen to them without thinking of her, so I stopped listening to the artist all together.

Now, a number of years and relationships later, I began listening to the artist again. My past associations with it have decayed, and I can begin creating new connections with Kitten. The artist is question is Joshua Radin.

I was first introduced to Joshua Radin by my sibling, when they sent me his song, "No Envy, No Fear". It's a very mellow piece that talks about seeing the pain in others, particularly family, and helping them through it. Looking back at it all, it's a very appropriate song for the two of us.  

Joshua Radin has a very laid back sound, his vocal register is easily within reach for my own voice (he's a baritone), and his lyrics are beautifully chosen. The accompaniment is light, usually just a guitar or two, some percussion, and a chill drumset. 

The fact that I listen to his music while working in the kitchen is a feat in itself, considering how loud that environment is. But Joshua Radin's music helps me to calm down after a stressful situation, and to make me think of Kitten. That always makes me smile. 

If you're looking for some relaxed music to listen to, and maybe make you tear up a little, give Joshua Radin a listen.

Toodles!