something I am grateful for today

Today is the anniversary of the big blackout of 2003. I am always grateful for electricity and our highly dependable supply thereof, there are so many things I do every day that wouldn't be possible without it.

That being said: while I'm not necessarily keen to repeat the experience of '03, I am grateful for the lessons I learned from it (e.g., that I can cope and manage somehow when that happens). One of the biggest lessons I learned from the blackout, that I am grateful for today, is what I saw in everyone else around me.

I don't remember seeing anyone who was panicking and freaking out about the disaster that had befallen them. Everyone seemed happier and more relaxed than usual, on account of this “enforced vacation”. Everything on their To Do List had to be abandoned and they could just kick back -- they had to just kick back. It made me think that we probably drive ourselves too hard and worry too much, and we do it so constantly that it becomes our Normal Life mode and that's how we are 24/7. Maybe we need to remember to take it easy and take time for ourselves more often than we do. I dunno...

string quartets

I dunno what it is about string quartets, but they really intrigue me and rub me the right way. A well-written, well-recorded one somehow sounds as full and rich as an entire orchestra, and it fascinates me how just four guys with such lo-tech equipment can do that. Pick just about any composer, and their string quartets will usually be some of my fave pieces of theirs. Kinda geeky, I know...

Hope these links work:


http://www.amazon.ca/tasty-string-quartets-volume-one/lm/UOX2SVY6WK8Y/ref=cm_lm_byauthor_full


http://www.amazon.ca/tasty-string-quartets-volume-two/lm/WUAA4VNIHWXE/ref=cm_lm_byauthor_full

woh

http://www.phrenopolis.com/perspective/atom/

If that doesn't give you at least some pause, you aren't really paying attention.

PS: could be The Largest Web Page Ever®.