Goodreads Galore

Just under one month from now will be my two year anniversary with Goodreads. After an invite from a fellow book lover, I joined the site and wasn't quite into it at first, but that all changed when I discovered the necessary ingredient: more than one friend. The site is now approaching its 5th birthday and is the book-lover equivalent to Facebook (it's "Facebook for books"). So when I was only sharing the books I was reading with one other person, it wasn't as exciting as it could have been. You might say it was only one sixth of the fun it is now.

So not only am I now updated about what my friends are currently reading, I can see what ratings they give to books while keeping track of my own little reading records. I could easily have made a notebook into a journal to keep track of what I read and my thoughts, but how much fun is that when I can share it online with my friends? Plus, Goodreads has recently been giving away books as preview releases and I was the lucky winner of FOUR books. How unfortunate that they all arrived right as my semester started. But nonetheless, they're added to my reading list and are waiting patiently for me to pick them up in my spare time.

In this time when our society turns to the internet for everything, why not bring books with us into that realm? Whether we are reading the hard copies that we own, rentals from libraries, or electronic copies on Nooks or Kindles, we're still reading and Goodreads reflects that.

Overheard at Bagelz: "South Korea... is that the bad one?"

You do not have to be a historical or cultural expert to be aware of some of the issues revolving around North Korea. The country's military is one of the largest in the world; its development and possession of nuclear weapons is outstanding and terrifying; and its isolation from the rest of the world creates a secretive casing around the country's activities, which was recently seen when two American journalists were captured and sentenced for crossing over the border.

Without knowing many, if any, details about North Korea, most world citizens know that the country's situation is much different from its southern neighbor, South Korea. Apparently, and disturbingly, some college students do not.

The scene: Bagelz on a college campus

Time: Around 8:20 a.m.

Actors: Caucasian Girl, Asian Boy

Action

Girl: So, where are you from?

Boy: Seoul.

Girl: South?

Boy: Yeah, it's in South Korea.

Girl: Is that the bad one?

At this point in time I tuned out of the conversation in laughter that I attempted to restrain while Boy briefly explained the differences between North and South Korea, to which Girl's response was:

Girl: d'awww. That's so sad... It's not even like a real society.

End scene.

Dear musicians who do not practice,

Foul sounds emit from your instrument and you wonder why, incompetent fool who doesn’t practice! Your facial expressions seem to scrutinize your own work yet you continue to wonder why you cannot keep up with the tempo, why your fingers do not know the correct positions and why your ear cannot hear the correct pitches. Do you not have the discipline to lock yourself in a practice room for even one measly hour a week to work through difficult passages? Do you not have the patience for a metronome to beat out your rhythms and subdivide, something you clearly are lacking the ability to do on your own?

For heaven’s sake, consider the ears which are your audience! Spare them the horrendous squeaks and atonal sounds you call melodies. Not only is your lack of musicality on display, but your lack of any sort of talent what-so-ever. If not for the contentment of your audience, why do you not practice for yourself? Does it not embarrass and disturb you to struggle through every musical rehearsal? Or, fool as you are, do you simply not realize your idiocy?

You wish to become a performer? How I do laugh. Not only will your lack of motivation to practice keep you from this goal, but it will seep into every aspect of your life. Your unwillingness to commit to self-discipline and hard work will hinder any success in your future until you change your ways, you lazy fool!

If you shall not change your ways through effective practicing, it would be advised that you simply stop playing and cease your assault of our ears.