On Nerd Life and Adult Life

     There are an INSANE amount of geeky goodies to be excited about lately. Star Trek, Avengers, X-Men, Doctor Who...all are coming out with new content soon, and I am stoked. But as I was chit-chatting with folks about the pick for the new Doctor (I was really pulling for Natalie Dormer, but I knew that hope was doomed from the start), I saw a bunch of people on my BookFace feed getting...almost ANGRY about the excitement within the Whovian fandom.

How dare you enjoy the things that you like! Dishonor on you AND your cow!

     It's part of a trend I've been noticing for ages now, that enthusiasm, ESPECIALLY unbridled enthusiasm, is generally seen as something to be avoided. Why? I can't really comprehend the mentality behind not wanting to be excited about anything.
     Geeks get a bad rap for being weirdos (which is fair enough), but what's treated as especially strange is their excitement about the things that they care about. It's called obsession and fanaticism, and is perceived to be mentally unhealthy. Frick that. I say, unbridled enthusiasm is smashing! Passion is wonderful! Excitement and wonder is to be desired, not disdained.

     You aren't more grown up when you act disinterested in anything. You act like a grown up when you stay true to yourself and your feelings. If you've always wanted to join the circus, and think trapeeze artists are the bee's knees, get pumped up about that! Show your friends sweet trapeeze videos, take a trapeeze class. Have fun with the things you love!

Beta-read Fanfiction porn, follow your dreams!

     You could wait a million years to feel like an adult, to have those grownup pastimes work their way into your life. The secret to being an adult is that you ARE one(unless there's younguns on my blahg. What are you doing here, younguns?). Adulthood is just a continuation of your life. The changes that take place are put into action by you, no one comes by with the adult stamp and changes what you love (unless I am very mistaken, and they somehow skipped myself and everyone I know).
P.S.: The other secret to adulthood is that you aren't really broke if you tell you bank account to shut up.

Not today, bank account!

     I've heard quite a few young adults saying "These are my last chances to do/see/love these things", and that makes me sad. You have the freedom to enjoy your hobbies however you want now (unless those hobbies involve human dismemberment, you can't do that), you can geek out even harder as a grownup. You get to choose your life now. You can get rid of all the people who don't want to move forward in their lives, people who hold you back. The hobbies you never cared for, but had to participate in, the traditions you think are super lame. Throw it all out, and make the perfect life for you, with all the best people, the best times, and the very sweetest video games.

It's true, you know.

So, toodles for now folks, I'm off to play the Game of Thrones: Ascent online game! (I'm Nym Zyngis, add me)

Until next time I roll around,
          Raven

A Quick Summary

Oh hey there, I have a blog. Sometimes I forget, because I spend so much time on my Tumblog. I have been up to some shenanigans, folks. Most recently, I worked the Ren Faire with Phelan (and got some sweet items from the other stalls), I moved out of my first apartment, and moved in with Tascha. I'll be here until her lease is up, and then probably hop-skip to a new place (Bonus: Binx is a cuddly kitty, and he likes to take naps next to me while I'm online). I had a fun Litha celebration, though I didn't get to do all that I planned, on account of Phelan having half a billion jobs, making it hard for him to get time off. But I brewed mead, which was pretty cool, and hung out outdoors, making flower crowns from weeds, which is also fun. I'm teaching myself how to make chainmaile, because I am a walking, breathing stereotype :p Also, I'm going to get a wig so I can have wacky hair AND a well-paying job. Plus, I'm going to Austin City Limits music festival, where I will see The Cure and Depeche Mode live. It's a good life.
And now, we return to your not-so-scheduled blogging about things and stuff.

Of Mistakes Made and Lessons Learned

Ask not for consistency from me, dear readers, for it is not something I do well. In any case, I am back to ramble at you. I'm not entirely sure where this blog post will take me, but I suppose that's half the adventure.

As I type this, Diamond and Pedro are asleep, Phelan is off somewhere, existing, no doubt, as he tends to do. I am on the couch, and the house is silent. I've already done my makeup in an extravagant manner, and most other time wasting activities are unavailable to me, as I broke my glasses earlier in the evening a rather violent bout of trying to smother myself in my blankets (I do that a lot, don't worry about it).

I'm feeling rather introspective.
Life has been one crazy existential crisis after another lately, as tends to happen in the chasm of insanity that is the 18-28 age bracket. Lost is the structure and certainty of high school, not yet gained is the structure and obligations of Settling Down. It's a time of abundant freedom and copious bad choices. Within each, an opportunity to learn.

What all have I learned by the terrible choices I've made?

That I'm terrible at accomplishing mundane tasks, because they bore me and I don't want to do them.

That one of the tasks I need to accomplish is setting down a plan to speak to a psychiatrist, because while my manic episodes are fun, I don;t think anything through while in the midst of them, and my depressive episodes are really detrimental and painful to myself.

Life is more than A-to-B journeys. We are constantly told that we need to achieve a sustainable, comfortable life. I have a comfortable, sustainable life, and I work four nights a week at eight dollars an hour. Surely I can aim for something higher than this? If you know me at all, and I assume that almost all of my readership does, you know that I am never satisfied with sitting still. I want adventures throughout the world, and I want to discover things about myself and others that I never knew. I am an absurd person in a devastatingly boring world, because that's what we're told to want. Screw that, my dears.

Be whoever the hell you are, where ever you want to be. You've been told otherwise, don't even fib. But the fact of the matter is, you have one human life here on earth, and it would be a terrible shame to spend it being what someone else has told you to be. With the power of will, and scope of human ingenuity, you are truely capable of anything. Do you want to make a jousting tournament, with human steeds? Do that shit. Send me an invite, I'll sign up. That fact of the matter is, the limitations confining you are the limitations that you have defined. Once you're out on your own, you're in charge. Want to sell things on the internet instead of working a 9-to-5 shift? YOU CAN DO THAT. Go on the internet, list your goods, and get links out into the blogosphere. Want to have a dance party in a fancy dress? Boy, girl, or other, DO IT. Life happens in these tiny moments of pure freedom.

Some people don't want your help, and they will make you feel like shit. That doesn't mean you should give up. NEVER give up. When you make a mistake, get right with your conscience, what other people do is up to them.

Basically, and I can tell you this for damn sure, a life lived full of mistakes and experiences is far richer and more satisfying than a life lived in constant planning and preparation for what will happen one day.

Surviving isn't hard.
Now it's time to thrive.

And remember, you're never too old for sweet robot rings.

Yours sincerely,
Raven

Sorry For Being Gone!

Hello, dears!
     Should you be wondering why I vanished for a very, very extended period of time, my computer's charging port crapped out. Ordered a new DC/IN port, and a new power cord (since it was probably the gradual cause of the damage done to my port). Then came the eight thousand steps it takes to crack open a mac, disconnecting the old DC/IN from the motherboard, installing the new one, and putting everything back together. I kind of feel like a champ, actually.

     So, updates. Diamond has been through some crazy workplace shenanigans, and after some trying times, has landed at my Travelodge. She works the same shift I do, on my weekends, and some housekeeping shifts. Which means that we end up on opposite schedules, which is lame. But hey, thus is the life of a financially independent young adult.

     Also, Diamond and I will be moving to Denver in the upcoming year. I was initially hesitant, but the more I think about it, the more I want to go. There's more things to do and see, and more people there. Colorado Springs isn't much of a college town, and I think it shows. A lot of people are either in High School, or in the void left afterwards. I want to meet people who have interesting things to talk about, and don't sit in a basement smoking pot all day (I'm looking at you, an apparent three-fourths of our young adult population). And who knows, maybe I can go do things without having to be the one to foot the bill for a change :p

I've gotten WAY TOO INTO Tumblr, as was bound to happen really. It's a hub of humour and nerdism, and I just can't resist such things. Fandoms are my happy places. I've also started to watch K-Dramas, which are heart-rending. If you haven't watched any yet, dearest readers, don't. You will be crying on your floor. Or just really frustrated at the characters.

Except for Woo Bin, who will have none of anyone's bullcrap. 

I also joined a Sorority. Does that surprise you? Well, it's online. And it's a Pottermore Sorority. Silly you! We all just kind of post our lives at each other, and it's great XD My twin Ren added me to it, and it's been a good time. I've made some friends as weird as I am. I also need to plan a trip to New York. Partially so I can do a dance. It's gonna be sweet.

I look normal now, as well. I had my head split into halves, with black and purple hair for a while, But now I've dyed it dark brown for a spell, and that's okay as well ^^

I'm always an adventure, if nothing else.
This pretty much catches up the important things I've been up to, so I'll say farewell for now.

          Raven

"Fight Like A Girl" Album Review

 If you don't know who Emilie Autumn is, I will point you to two blogs that will help you out.

From Unlacing the Victorians, I blog that I personally love: http://unlacethevictorians.blogspot.com/2009/11/asylums-principle-inmate.html

From Stripy Tights And Dark Delights (Formerly the Ultimate Goth Guide): http://ultimategothguide.blogspot.com/2011/10/spotlight-on-emilie-autumn.html

It has now been about twenty-four hours since I got my hands on the newest album from Emilie Autumn, Fight Like A Girl. This album is part of a larger story, chronicled in Miss Autumn's book, The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls, which itself is headed for a stage debut (sometime in 2014, by all accounts). You can definitely hear that theatricality in this album. Some of the tracks sound downright destined for stage, and there are a number of tracks that I absolutely love. The overall feel of this album is more fun than Opheliac, which was rougher than this one. The post-production seems to have improved greatly, in my opinion, which makes me happy! I have a few thoughts down for each song on the 17-track album, so without further ado, my review of FLAG


Fight Like A Girl: The title track for this album. Now, as a personal preference, I don't like the screamies. It's never been my cup of tea, but I love this song regardless. It's infectious, and has been playing in my head a lot. It kind of makes you want to go fight someone!

Time For Tea: More screaming, but I love this song anyway. It's pretty fabulous, menacing and powerful. I love the little ditty she used! Because I'm at my most terrifying when I sound like a sweet little child ;p

Four o'Clock Reprise: An instrumental track. It sounds very much like a soundtrack. A few strains of music remind me of Phantom of the Opera.

What Will I Remember?: A delicate number, showcasing the softer side of Miss Autumn's vocal talents, instead of the strength we usually hear from her.

Take The Pill: Creepy, catchy, and dark. I really like this one! It's a powerful song, you can feel the sense of struggling against captivity. You'll be singing this one to yourself! This one goes back a bit to Emilie's industrial roots. It really makes me want to jump around. Take the pill, take the pill, take the pill, take the pill!

Girls! Girls! Girls!: Bouncy and fun, this song brings to mind traditional musical numbers. It's up-beat and exciting. It also makes me think of a dark carnival, so of course I love it! Happy, with an undercurrent of darkness, of course. This is Miss Autumn after all! Catchy, it's a good time. Makes you want to do the can-can! ;p

I Don't Understand: A short little exchange between an inmate, and a boy with a camera. It's cute, and low-tempo.

We Want Them Young: This one has some tribal-sounding drums in it, which was unexpected, but it work well. The violins work to lend an epic feel to it. One of my favorites, it's a dark song. Fear-mongering by the Doctors against women in the town, attempting to get more inmates. I wish it was longer.

If I Burn: Reminiscent of Opheliac-era, it's a strong track, with the vocal "pow!" we expect from Miss Autumn. You want to sing it at the top of your lungs, as a declaration of being stronger than even death. It's chock-full of righteous fury!

Scavenger: A tale of the man who's stealing women away to the asylum. He's paid by the doctors. He takes a sick pride in his work, in hunting down girls who wander down that street they know they shouldn't wander down, or coming in their houses through the door they don't lock. The solid, repetitive beat lends an air of tense anticipation.

Gaslight: One of my favorite songs on the album. The harpsichords are lovely, and  almost heartbreaking, paired with Emilie's singing voice, and the desperate lyrics. I find myself wanting to sing this one as loud as I can. You can feel the asylum girls being crushed by their conditions, and the death of their sisters-in-captivity.

The Key: This short, high-tempo number is more like a part poem, part call-to-arms than song. You can really see the stage aspirations this tale has here. This is where the attitude of the girls shifts from victim to warrior.

Hell Is Empty: Very short. Feels soundtrack-like, and a bit ethereal. You can hear the rats swarming =]

Gaslight Reprise: Another instrumental track. Very soft and sweet.

Goodnight, Sweet Ladies: This is a farewell to their fallen sisters. Less sad than you'd expect, it's a sweet chorus of voices paying their respects to these ladies' bravery. Very melodic and lovely.

Start Another Story: This is another short little track. Another one that feels it would be at home on stage in a musical. Simple, but full of hope.

One Foot In Front Of The Other: This is another one of my favorites! It feels like a victory march. It speaks of finding yourself after a battle. The chorus is wildly catchy! It may not be lyrically complex, but it's so much fun that it doesn't need to be. Another one that will be stuck in your head, in the best kind of way =]

All in all, I really like this album. It's $14.99 on the Asylum Emporium, which includes both the physical album sent to you, and a download link sent to your email which you has all the tracks, and can be used thirty times! I don't know why you'd need it that many times, but hey,why not? This album is a pretty good ride, and I'm looking forward to the tour and stage production =]

Asylum Store: http://www.asylumemporium.com/collections/featured-items

Eek! Labels!

We've all seen them. They flock around in groups, looking identical, convinced of their transcendence above normal, boring people. And we've all made fun of them, it's officially a cliche. So I'm going to depart from that particular path for a quick stroll through an alternative line of thought.
There's another group that irritates me (actually, there's a lot of people who annoy me, but I'm being specific right now). Label-phobic people. The ones who get pissed off at the thought that they could be classified them as a punk, jock, or emo. Because they are special and original and different, damn it! I find that this is most common in adolescents, probably because they still have this mindset of "There is not one single person like me in the entire world".
Well, sorry to break it to you, loves, but there are people very similar to you, spread around the whole world. And that's okay.
You don't need to be a solitary pillar. You can't bogart all the individuality in the world, there will be other people with the same weird characteristics as you. It doesn't make you any less yourself, not unless you change to avoid being classified.
For example, I'm a goth. I love things other people may consider dark or weird. I've been listening to original goth bands since birth (thanks Dad!). I love bats, and vampires (Unfortunately Necessary Disclaimer: Not Meyer's atrocities), everything Victorian, black leather, and boots (boots, boots, boots!).
Can some of those attributes belong to other people, as well? Yep.
Can you have all these attributes and not be a goth? Yep.
Do I love goth culture and self-identify with it? I do!
So, embrace who you are, even if there's been a label attached to it. Be a punk, or a metalhead, or a goth kid!

Ah, happy Raven's soul.

Quick Ramble about Phantom of the Opera

As anyone who knows me is aware, I love musicals. I was in theatre for four years, and I miss the hell out of it now that I've graduated.
One of my favorites, of course, is The Phantom of the Opera. Go ahead and guess my favorite character. I'll wait.

Yes, of COURSE it's the Phantom!
The Phantom shows the true nature of people. He's a creative genius, he's self-educated (and did a good job), cultured, and devoted. Yet, people have shunned him, beat and tortured him, because he didn't look right. No one ever admits their own responsibility in creating his madness. They simply start a hunt for him. I don't much care for the rest of the main cast. Raoul strikes me as a spoiled brat (which seems to me to be confirmed in Love Never Dies), and Christine is really just dumb. She let's herself be manipulated, and sides with whoever is providing the most security at the moment.

Short, rambly. It's four thirty in the morning, and I still have two and a half hours until my shift is over. You'll have to forgive me. A proper post shall be forthcoming!