The Adventures Of Nostra!

http://www.datpiff.com/mixtapes-detail.php?id=439985
This is my first mixtape. Techincally it's my 3rd mixtape. My first mixtape I did with a computer mic, the tracks we from another producer who I really liked. But none of the were customized, I couldn't remix anything, I just laid my raps on top of the tracks. Then my second mixtape I did was called "Secrets Don't" and I did it with my friend who laid down a couple raps. It was my first time in the studio. I took a song off of that one that I really liked, it was the best one, and started working on my first official mixtape. A year later I now have this . . . The Adventures Of Nostra!. Check it out! Tell all your friends.

Random Photos

I do a lot of traveling . . .

Happy New Years!

New Years is all about looking at the past year, and making an effort to improve yourself as the year begins. Noise-making and fireworks on New Year's eve is believed to have originated in ancient times, when noise and fire were thought to dispel evil spirits and bring good luck. The Dutch burn bonfires of Christmas trees on the streets while they launch fireworks. In Wales, the back door is opened and then shut to let go of the previous year and lock out all of its bad luck. Later, the front door is opened and the new year is welcomed in with all of its promising possibilities.

Setting New Years resolutions began thousands of years ago in Rome. These resolutions were centered around morals, -to be good to others.Thousands of years later, the Puritans urged their children to reflect on the past year and to contemplate. To recollect past mistakes and resolve to improve oneself in the new year.

 I have compiled a list of common New Years resolutions as of 2013. Starting with the most popular:

1. To Lose Weight
2. To Get Organized, Manage Time
3. Spend Less, Save More, Get Out of Debt, Get a Better Job
4. Enjoy Life to the Fullest, Reduce Stress, Be Less Grumpy, Be More Independent
5. Staying Fit and Healthy, Exercise More, Eat Better
6. Learn Something Exciting, Improve Grades, Get a Better Education, Study More Often
7. Quit Smoking, Drink Less Alcohol
8. Help Others in Their Dreams, Volunteer To Help Others, Give To Charity
9. Fall In Love
10. Spend More Time With Family
11. Stop Biting Nails
12. Take a Trip
13. Get Along Better With People, Make New Friends

I have done my research and concrete resolutions are more likely to come into fruition than abstract resolutions. Furthermore, sharing your resolutions with other people and getting support from friends and family further increases your chances of success. Finally, it helps to setup a system in which small goals are set that weave into a bigger web of bigger goals.

An idea I have come to ponder on is the transition of why it is we set goals. In current times these goals are mostly image-based. But I think it is important to introduce the idea of moral-based goals. Helping Others in Their Dreams, Get Along Better With People, Make New Friends, I think these are important goals as well. You never know, your quality of life might increase if you make it a point to smile at at least one person a day.

The next piece of music I would like to talk about is "Signal Hill". The album is called "More After We're Gone". You can buy it from amazon.com and you can listen to the songs on YouTube.

If you like Explosions In The Sky, or The Album Leaf, or Post-Rock in general, then I think you'll like this band. ;)

It's really chilled laid back music. It's also very lateral and left-brain oriented while at the same time being extremely chill and dreamy. So it makes sense while at the same time creating an atmosphere of irrationality.

This is my favorite band in the world.

This is the type of music you can study to. You can dream to. You can cry to. You can reminisce. You can contemplate the meaning of life. You put your headphones on and go walk around campus and feel like you're in some type of movie. That features you just walking around. It's awesome! ;)

Kaki King

If you haven't heard of Kaki King well let me introduce you to the myth, the legend, the genius herself. Kaki King has been releasing music since 2003. As of today she has released 9 albums.

Her first album called Everybody Loves You. Features basically her doing her innovative style of guitar. She kinda slaps the guitar instead of strums it and this is what basically inspired her/ made her famous.
You see, it used to be cool to have talent. This album showcases one thing only and that's Kaki King's talent for playing the acoustic guitar, songwriting, melody, rhythm, creativity, atmosphere, nostalgia, etc, etc, etc. It's basically just her in front of a mic playing songs on an acoustic guitar. It's awesome!

This album is perfect for long walks alone. Perfect for when you just wanna shut down and hear something beautiful after a long day of work. Perfect for when you wanna hear love. I said "hear love" lol. I mean it though. Perfect for when you just wanna believe in something.

I recommend the song "Carmine Street". I recommend the song "Night After Sidewalk".

This is how I was introduced to Kaki King. I used to ride the bus to school everyday listening to this album. I remember those times vividly.

It seems like on this album, Kaki got a band and everything went down from there. It's not so much about her innovative guitar style on this album, but more about the nostalgia, the melody, the songwriting, the feelings you get from listening to the songs.

Honestly, there's not much music out there that can touch you the way this album does. You can put your headphones on and travel the world to this album. You can forget all your troubles to this album. You can close your eyes and just exist. People talk about a lot of stuff all day everyday, but this album makes you FEEL it. You can feel serenity. You can feel peace, life, hope, despair, yearning, struggle, etc, etc, etc. A lot of people want music that "makes sense". Welllllll, I can tell you that this music doesn't make sense, but it makes sense!

Marilyn Monroes once said that nobody could every really love anybody, and she was sure of it. Well, if you want to believe in something, and believe in people in general, "Legs To Make Us Longer" can help you. . . .

Things I think about while listening to "Legs To Make Us Longer" . . .

I recommend the song "Ignots", "Doing The Wrong Thing", "Solipsist","Neanderthal", "Can the Gwot Save Us?", and "Nails".   

THE REST IS UP TO YOU TO DISCOVER.! YOU'VE GOT 4 ALBUM 2 GO!!!! GOOOD LUCK

The Grapes Of Wrath

So I've been reading this book as it was recommended to me and I found this quote:
"This you may say of man - when theories change and crash, when schools, philosophies, when narrow dark alleys of thought, national, religious, economic, grow and disintegrate, man reaches, stumbles forward, he may slip back, but only half a step, never the full step back. This you may say and know it and know it." - Chapter 14

I haven't finished reading this book yet, but I thought this was a good quote.

Overall, the book from what I've read as far as the introduction and the 51st page go, is pretty good. It's about the industrialization era. But it talks about it from a personal point of view. It isn't a political book. It reads more like a journal. Like what if you were to write about an important moment of history but you had no idea you were witnessing an important moment in history? Same thing.

It's really made me think about a lot of things and changed my point of view about of a lot of things. It opened my mind.

About this quote: I like this quote because everything changes, but the human mind is such that it never takes a full step back. I like this quote because it realizes that everything that's trending today, ten years from now will be completely different, but we'll all be basically the same. Everybody needs food, shelter, and support.