The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing

One of the few inherently Cuban characteristics that I am fortunate to have inherited from my parents is my ability to dance. Let's clarify one thing. I am no professional. I don't do any fancy foxtrots or waltzes, and I can't blow the mind of those around me. However, growing up going to numerous Cuban parties where Salsa dancing is almost a prerequisite for entry, I have gained enough confidence and ability to hold my own in whatever dancing setting I stumble into. Luckily for me, I appear rather impressive to the average person since most have little to no experience with dancing. I have exploited my rare knowledge since middle school. When you're 1 out of 100 kids that possesses the ability to recognize the basic beat of a song, it creates a lot of confidence and also puts you in pretty high demand. I don't know how many times I've taught people how to do a basic salsa step. It really is way easier than people realize. It obviously takes a little practice to make it look really natural and do more flashy of moves, but the basics take little to no effort. 

I don't dance as often anymore as I did growing up, but, when the situation calls, I still enjoy shaking the hips and being a little bit of a showoff. So although I've had to struggle through learning to speak Spanish in school instead of being taught by my parents, I still have to thank them for bestowing me with the ability to strut my stuff on the dance floor. It's been more valuable than I would have ever guessed.

(This is one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite movies White Christmas)

Steve Jobs

For the last few months, I have been reading the Biography of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. I just finished it on Friday and I thought I would write a few things that I took away from it. Let me start by saying that I am not an Apple fan-boy. I did not decide to start this book because I believe in every product they make, and in many cases I think they're kind of dumb. My older brother Eric mentioned to me some time last year that he had read it and liked it. I have always been a fan of computers, and tinkering and learning more about them has been a hobby of mine for the last few years. I knew a fair amount of how Steve Jobs made his mark on the history of computers and technology throughout his life, and this book helped to elaborate even more on those aspects and some. However, the interesting part about this book was that, unlike most biographies, this one was written at the request of the subject.

A few years before his death, Steve Jobs approached Walter Isaacson and requested that he write a biography about his life. He even offered to sit down for personal interviews to talk about his past. Steve Jobs, knowing that he had little time left to live, craved for some sort of memorandum to document and hopefully explain his life and his intentions to the world and especially so his children. I connect with that desire in a personal way. It's one of the reasons why I keep this blog. I hope that not only would it show a part of myself to others that would otherwise go unnoticed, but it could possibly be something my future children could look back on in 30 years and could understand the type of person their father was when I was their age. It's always bothered me that my parents never had something similar. The book shows incredible detail of the background and driving force behind a man that impacted in so many ways the lives of millions. Whether you liked him as a person or not (and many did not), he changed the world. He will not be forgotten, and his achievements cannot be downplayed by anyone.

I cannot say that I would want to live his life though. He had many ups and downs, and he angered many people in the process. I do however admire him and his persistence towards achieving the unbelievable. I have struggled for the last few years to find my focus and my great passion in life, but reading the story about a man who so truly knew his life's aspirations gives me hope for my future.

Hilarious Poster

A simply amazing poster I discovered in Dallas yesterday

that I am going to either have to buy or replicate in the near future

First to point out the joke within the poster gets a cookie :-)

Noah's Top 10 Songs From The Past Year

Granted, some of these songs are older and didn't just come out this year. It's more of a 10 songs I discovered and/or was obsessed with during the past year. I am not the most on top of the music scene, and I definitely don't claim to be. Either way, I thought I would change some things up and share some of my favorite songs that I have recently been addicted to. Each song is a link to youtube so you can listen to the song if you like. Enjoy and if you have any suggestions of songs or bands that you feel I should check out, please let me know. I love finding new good music, and word of mouth is typically the only way I find more.

1. Do I Wanna Know - Arctic Monkeys
2. While I'm Alive - Starfucker
3. Eat That Up It's Good For You - Two Door Cinema Club
4. Kangaroo Court - Capital Cities
5. Dance Yrself Clean - LCD Soundsystem
6. Who's Loving You - Michael Bublé
7. Lose Yourself To Dance - Daft Punk
8. Creep (Cover) - Carrie Manolakos
9. 83 - John Mayer
10. Skyfall - Adele

Romance Can Work

Alright, I've been pretty transparent with my most recent posts, so I'm going to admit something that I've only ever told a few people. I absolutely adore the movie Pride and Prejudice. I am man enough to admit that I enjoy romantic movies. I can appreciate absolutely any type of movie as long as it makes sense, has a solid story, and is well made in a technical sense (directing, cinematography, acting, etc). This movie delivers in spades on all accounts. At least for me. I have a group of movies that, when I'm bored, I will go back and re-watch my favorite scenes from. Some have childhood memories associated with them. Some just get me pumped with the perfectly choreographed fight scenes. And some, such as Pride and Prejudice, make me giddy like a 12 year old school girl who just got asked to the 7th grade dance by her long time crush. Let me take it step by step to explain why this movie is so incredible.

Writing/Story: I love the story. I actually have read the book as well, but luckily after I had already fallen in love with the movie. There are obviously deviations from the original story within the movie adaptation, but I approve of most all of them. There are some changes to critical lines and character interactions that attempt to add more drama, but they all made sense to create a compelling 21st century movie. The book was published in 1813; times were very very different back then, so obviously things had to be amended at least a bit.

The story is compelling though. There is a nice ebb and flow between humor, drama, and plenty of complex romantic interactions. I find seeing all of the misunderstandings and issues that arise throughout the story so enjoyable, because, although the story was written over 200 years ago, they are still the sort of stupid problems we all get ourselves into with romantic endeavors. Plenty of over-analysis, ignorant assumptions, and calculated wooing. The dialogue works in every instance. I adore well written and believable dialogue in movies and TV shows. The best part however is that the characters express themselves in the most eloquent and alluring way imaginable. Many lines are written in such a way that it sometimes takes a second to realize if they said an insult or a compliment. Plus, their British accents don't hurt either. Here is one of my favorite lines in the movie as an example of what I mean:

"And those are the words of a gentleman. From the first moment I met you, your arrogance and conceit, your selfish disdain for the feelings of others made me realize that you were the last man in the world I could ever be prevailed upon to marry."

Cinematography/Acting: The movie is beautiful to look at. Every shot has beautiful sprawling landscapes of English countryside or some beautiful villa. The use of natural light is so expertly done. It creates such a genuine look that allows you to truly suspend reality and feel as though you are in the 19th century with these characters. 

The casting works perfectly for each character. There aren't any Megan Foxes or Zac Efrons just thrown in to bring in the little middle school fan girls or boys. Each character looks the part and delivers perfectly with their performances. The chemistry and electricity between each character is practically palpable and is an absolute pleasure to watch.

Music: To me, the music of a movie is incredibly under-appreciated by the average movie watcher. This acute art within film making makes its mark by subtly ushering the audience into the intended emotions of a scene without being overbearing. The best music within movies goes unnoticed until later when you realize tears are welling up in your eyes or you have a stupid grin from ear to ear. It's like a soft breeze that flows through a house that you can't find the source of, but you can still feel its effect. The music in Pride and Prejudice accomplishes this beautifully in my opinion. I could listen to it without the movie and still feel the emotions within the composition. Here is my favorite song from the movie, and it's one that pops up repeatedly throughout. Dawn - Dario Marianelli

Final Words: I realize that I possess some amount of bias towards movies made in Britain, since I've long loved England. Blame it on my longtime obsessions with both Harry Potter and the English Premier League! It really is a fabulously made movie though. It didn't revolutionize the art of movie making, and it won't leave you with great philosophical questions that will cause you to toss and turn at night considering them. It is a prototypical romantic movie that differs by not falling prey to the cheesy and obvious cliches that most movies within this genre succumb to. I know this movie is not for everyone, and many wouldn't appreciate some of the subtle aspects that I do in this movie. But it still makes me happy when I go back and watch those favorite scenes of mine. So, if even one person who reads this ends up going to watch Pride and Prejudice and enjoys it half as much as I do, then this post and my admission as a closet romantic will be completely worth it.

Foot In Mouth Syndrome

I'm sure everyone has experienced that time when they say something that they truly believe to their core, but, after saying it, it just doesn't sit well. Now imagine that happening 2-3 times a week, and you'll get a glimpse of what my life is like!! It rarely is anything malicious or hurtful, but it always causes people to pause with surprise forcing me to explain myself. I have always struggled with filtering my beliefs and comments. Literally since I was a kid it's been around. That over bearing feeling that every stupid thought that flows through my head some how needs expressing due to its inflated magnitude. I have tried to rationalize where this desire comes from. It may have something to do with growing up with four extremely intelligent older brothers and little me hoping that just one of my millions of thoughts might be worthy of their acknowledgment. As the saying goes, "you miss every shot you don't take", so I guess I defaulted to expressing everything that flowed through my young brain to increase my chances!!

Nowadays though, I've always rationalized that those comments that toe the line are worth saying since I may be the only person that has the guts to speak up in this situation and hopefully cause whomever is involved to grow and learn something. Contrary to what people may believe, I never comment on things to intentionally hurt anyone. I am not a spiteful or malicious person.

I recently had a very long talk with my Dad about a whole variety of things, and one of our topics was the fact that I hold such high regard in honesty and expressing my view to anyone and everyone. He told me about how in his experience, extreme honesty tends to alienate others from you rather than creating camaraderie or strong bonds with them. He explained that, to him, holding honesty in such high regard is a way of trying to make yourself feel better about saying things that should go unspoken by simply saying "hey, I'm just being honest". I think that he has a point about that. It's almost as if my being openly honest makes my brain then say "well, why can't all the rest of these people be as honest as I'm being? I'm showing them how easy honesty is!!" That isn't the way it works though. You don't receive honesty from others by being honest. You receive that when you have trust and respect. 

However, although I come to rationalize this with the help and guidance of friends and family, it still isn't the easiest to filter everything that my brain tries to say or keep from getting frustrated when I feel others are not being as honest as my brain tells me they should be. I have my own level of transparency about myself and my thoughts, but I need constant reminders to the fact that others have different levels of openness and honesty that may not be as far down the spectrum as I am. That's perfectly understandable though, and I need to learn to not be as bothered by it. It will save a lot of time for me with not having to constantly remove my foot from my mouth, and probably build a lot stronger relationships with those people that I interact with, which is the most important thing. I enjoy connecting and learning about other people, and my honesty gets in the way far too frequently. I intend to make a point of fixing that going forward. It will be a long road, but acknowledgment is the first step. Wish me luck!

Life As I Know It

Life is complicated. It literally takes my breath away when I sit down and consider its vast complexity. I don't talk much with people I know about my beliefs on creation or spirituality, because, like most people, I prefer talking about things that I understand and can vocalize intelligently about. And this topic is one that I fall well short of holding any sort of solid comprehension of. I have wondered recently about why we as humans are the only species to contemplate our existence and purpose in the world (at least to our knowledge). Why were we as humans gifted such above average mental capacity that we proposed such unanswerable questions?

A humorous question that I recently thought about was that, assuming that some great being set off this chain reaction of evolution back when the universe began, how long would it have taken that great being to see our potential as a dominant species?? Because, for all intents and purposes, we as humans on the surface appear rather docile compared to most animals. If not for our brain, we should have easily been eliminated through natural selection and survival of the fittest years ago. There does not exist another animal that I know of with comparable size and weight to a human that couldn't easily kill us if we fought them weaponless. Or at least I have never been able to think of one. If you can, please let me know.

Even with all of these incredible advantages of intellect, we as humans constantly attempt to add to the complications of our lives and never pause to realize how simple and trivial most problems we experience turn out to be. Everything feels like the end of the world, and every problem always feels insurmountable. The reality of the situation is that the world spun around the sun before our problems, and it's going to keep doing so after we solve them. Everyone feels alone when they experience hardships, but the fact is that many have been in the same situation all throughout history and they surpassed it. I don't know that everything happens for a reason, but I do know that every situation teaches us something unexpected and wonderful about our lives. I am just a young man of twenty-two, and I guarantee my life will be full of obstacles and unexpected hurdles. I'm going through a few of them at this very moment, but I regret none of the decisions that have led me here.

Life is an incredible machine that just keeps turning. It's difficult at times and takes its toll, but the greatest solace I have is the fact that I hold the capacity to appreciate the ride. Make sure you do the same.

Small Talk

So let's have a big talk about small talk. I real dislike small talk. Actually, I don't dislike small talk per say; I just dislike the way people utilize it. I understand the intention that small talk is meant to have, but many people in my opinion fail at grasping its intent. For most people, they rely solely on small talk in order to learn more about the people they meet and from those generic answers decide whether the person warrants continued interaction. To me, this use of small talk completely undermines the purpose of small talk. Small talk is simply a social barrier that must be broken down before really getting to know someone. It's like reading a list of ingredients for a cake except the only items on the list are flour, eggs, and baking powder. Yes, that may make some basic version of a cake, but it won't have any flavor or sweetness. Let me explain.

For all of those questions, I hate that I am solely getting the rehearsed answer that has probably been given to hundreds of people. Every college student has been asked the soul sucking question of "what do you want to do when you graduate?" For me, that question will reveal the absolute smallest amount of discernible information about who you are as a person. Why? Because I know that you've been asked that question dozens of times. Therefore, societies repetitiveness forced you into creating a socially acceptable answer to said question just in order to end the conversation as quickly as possible. This is typically true due to the fact that only about 0.1% of college students have any certainty in their plans after college and find it embarrassing to express that fact to a complete stranger that they just met. I know that I do. Therefore not only do I have to listen and comprehend your response that I know is calculated, but now I have to try and analyze your response in order to find out the what is worth taking from it. Did he pause before answering? That might tip off that he's uncertain about this plan. Did she slip in something about her Dad being an engineer as well? That could mean that she pursued this field and this future plan not out of passion but instead some sort of family influence. This is the sort of stuff going through my head when I'm experiencing small talk. The answers ooze of preconceived thought.

I prefer organic and off the cuff conversations that encourage people to think on their toes and show a side of themselves most rarely attempt or even care to see. These interactions tell a person's true character. I'll do the small talk for a little while as my stepping stone, but I really am simply waiting for the right time to jump in and begin the true interactions. I like to ask questions that make people seriously reflect on something. Sometimes history. Sometimes nature. And sometimes simply on themselves. Nothing tells more about a person than a probing question that they never anticipated. If you are a close friend of mine, you know the sort of questions to which I am referring. Some of my favorites include: would you rather try and survive for 5 minutes against a shark or a brown bear? how many 5 year-old children do you think you could take in a fight on your own? and what single word would you hope all people describe you as? For the record my answers are shark, about 40, and, although my word has typically always been "honest", I have been considering a change to "understanding" instead.

Questions like these create debate and interaction. They spawn environments where people may actually express themselves openly without hiding behind their fabricated responses and peer-pressure. It's a place where the possibility of knowing a person beyond what they simply WANT you to know about them exists. That is the sort of way I want to know people. That is the sort of way I want people to know me. Maybe I'm just crazy and this utopia will never exist where people willfully share themselves and their ideas without reservation, but I like to think that every time I ask these sorts of questions I push the world a little closer to that ideal world that I want to live in. And that seems worth it to me.

New Beginnings

Well, it's been about 11 months since the last time that I posted anything. I had almost completely forgotten about this blog until yesterday read a post from a friend of mine's blog that brought me back and showed me again the reason that I created this blog in the first place. She reminded me of the potential my blog could become. Now I don't truly expect my little blog to ever reach her level. She is probably the best writer I have ever had the pleasure of knowing personally, but, when I read one of her recent posts, there was this incredible feeling of being forced to think about something completely contrary to my normal ideas while still making me enjoy questioning them. The ability to instill that feeling on others resides only with truly gifted writers, and I don't know that I'll ever quite get there. However, I do know that I can try. I already have some ideas for my next blog posts. It's been almost a year since I've been on here; I better have something new to talk about!! I know that I'll enjoy the catharsis of writing random posts and emptying my ever filling brain; I just hope that whomever ends up stumbling upon this tiny corner of the internet enjoys my Spare Thoughts and ramblings even a fraction as much as I do when I read her blog. And maybe some day I can be the inspiration for someone else to create a blog and share their random musings in the same way my friend has been for me. So here's to a new beginnings in a year which holds so many exciting and scary possibilities in my life. I look forward to experiencing each and every one of them.

P.S. Here's the link to my friend's blog if you'd like to check it out. She really is an incredible writer. http://www.emilylaurenalleman.com/