16. Go to a place you’re not supposed to be and think of a different use you would apply for using that specific place.

The previous installment taught me to think. I will now think of an already existing place and attach a new purpose for the use of that specific place.

Since it is known that I absolutely despise rugby (as stated and demonstrated in installment no. 14 of these wonderful exercises), I shall now come up with 5 different ways that I can re-use my high-school's rugby field for other purposes.

1. Open the field to poor folk on the street and build houses on the land.
2. Open an organisation that supports anti-bullying.
3. Plant trees there instead.
4. Use the field for cricket (or football or anything else).
5. Beat some tracks and open a go-carting business.

There you have it, folks. 5 good ideas that can destroy rugby once and for all. Consider it a favor.






Well, this is the last entry for the year. Thanks for all the reading you have done, and remember:

Cheerio!

15. Give in to your worst impulses for a day and change your mind about viewing them as negative

Today I gave in to my worst impulses. It was fun on some levels, and not so fun in others.

In the last exercise, I derived the concept of "change". This time, I am going to change my mind about viewing my actions as negative, and try to understand why I was like I was. I am going to empathise with my bad behavior.

Now, I shouted at some relatives because they were in the other room talking with me, and I couldn't hear them. I shouted at them when they eventually came close enough to me so I could hear them. Chaos ensued.

I feel bad for the way I treated them, but it was because I was busy working in this one room, and I couldn't understand a word they were saying for the life of me.

Anyways, the second thing I screwed up was to get my relatives involved in a group mess that I was in with my colleagues at the time.
The reason I get others involved is not to complain about what I am going through and vent and vomit all my frustrations, but to get a second or third opinion or even feedback when I need it. This time, I neglected the chance and got into an arguement with the person that was supposed to be helping me.
The trouble was, they always agree with my bad decisions.
I learned that I should not give a crap about what others think or say, and just do stuff myself.

And that was that. Good stuff.


I derived from this exercise the power of thinking things through and analysation and pondering.

Next time, this will be implemented!

Lok'tar ogar!

14. Do something you have no interest in doing

This week, I am tasked this week to do something I have no interest in doing whatsoever. The second application of this task, as demonstrated in the previous installment, is to come up with ideas.

Now, since I live in a rugby-crazed country, I figured that, being the eternal rugby-pessimist that I am, that I am going to invent 5 new rules for the game of rugby (this may include change or replace existing rules). Probably cliched or something, yes, but it is quite interesting to see how much I can mess up this game (insert evil laugh here), given that I hate the ultra-violence displayed and encouraged in this malevolent sport.


Now, here we go:

1. There are no penalty kick-outs. After every single scrum, there is a penalty kick.

2. However, in the place of a penalty kick, for the next 30 seconds of the next round, the cheated-against team may punch the opposing team with their fists to prevent them from scoring.

3. You may not use your arms or hands with regards to the ball. Only your feet and legs to "carry" it.

4. The time rules are changed. It is not limited to only 80 minutes, but the game ends when the first team scores 300.

5. When there are deaths on the field, no replacements may enter. This lasts until the end of the game. Replacements may be made in the next game that the team plays.



This exercise included the concept of "change". This will be implemented in the next challenge I participate in.


Goodnight and good luck!

13. Execute an old idea

This week I'll be executing an old idea and mixing it with the concept of play (derived from the previous exercise), by playing an old nostalgic childhood game.

Back when I was in third grade, there were games installed on the computers that we worked on at school. There was a game called "Final Ninja", and I've been wanting to return to my roots by playing it again.

The levels begin quite easy and gradually become harder as you play as a ninja cruising through a futuristic world, battling various villains and overcoming multiple challenges. The basic controls are quite simple, with the movement attached to "WASD" for left, right, up and down and the mouse for weapons and/or swinging capabilities. The game is an old "Miniclip.com" special, but isn't featured there anymore, since time has passed and everything has gotten older.

The game gets quite complicated and challenging in the later stages, even with it being a kids' flash game. The music is well done, and captures the theatrical side of the story it tells.

This side-scroller is a must-play gem to anyone who appreciates classic 2D online-playables.

Here is a link:

http://www.izzygames.com/final-ninja-t1264.html?gclid=CjwKCAiA8P_TBRA9EiwAJrpHMyumsA1lkyWB7IukesjImzbmb0RVs_pK6mmu8Ki4lc1I1Iq5QIsYzhoCt4wQAvD_BwE




This exercise has given me a few new creative ideas. I will be using this in my next exercise...

12. Reverse an established pattern

Now, the previous week I picked up the concept of sides.

My task this week is to reverse an established pattern, but I will be applying "sides" by watching a tennis match and side against my favourite player. 

So I watched the Cincinnati Masters Final 2018 with Roger Federer against Novak Djokovic for the crowning title as champion of the tournament.

The match was pretty gut-wrenching, as both of the players were challenging each other for the win. Djokovic was unable to beat Federer in this ATP Masters three years prior, and had to be in top form to be able to beat him this time.

In this particular match, however, Federer's consistency in playing was unequal with the strength and ferocity of his opponent. It would seem after the many matches leading up to the final poured out his versatility, and gave Djoko the upper hand, resulting in a 6-4, 6-4 victory for Djokovic.

Novak is the only player to have won all the ATP Masters 1000 tournaments since it started in 1990. This match was definitely a "must-win" for Djokovic, and is an outstanding achievement for the Serbian.

Congratulations, Djokovic! You have earned the title of champion!

This week has taught me to play. Next week awaits!



Some sources:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/aug/19/novak-djokovic-roger-federer-cincinnati-masters-tennis
https://www.supersport.com/tennis/atp/video/998004

11. Do something intentionally Boring

Now, from last week's exercise I learned the value of adjusting from the good moods that I have turned into bad moods. I now take this epiphany and add it to this next exercise:

This week's exercise is more of a simple practice. I am tasked to do something intentionally boring.
Now, don't expect anything exciting in this next exercise, because you won't find it here. If you suffer from a severe case of FOMO, you should leave immediately...


I wore my fringe the other way. Usually it's positioned to the left, but now it leans to the right.

What I've learned from this exercise is the great importance and significance of sides. This will be applied to the next exercise. Oh, what more great adventures await us.

Check you next week ;D

10. Start a good habit by turning bad moods into good moods

The last assignment I've done included reading some material. I've found the concept of turning (turning pages etc.) very interesting, and will be using it as the pillar of my exercise that I'll be explaining shortly.

I was given the task of starting a good habit. So I figured, I can combine this with turning.

This week, I've been giving myself the challenge of willfully turning bad moods into good moods for an entire week.



Monday:

The traffic was intense. This was the perfect day to start exercising my optimism muscles. I put on some calming music in the car, and I gave myself the challenge of not uttering a single swear word for the entire day that I drove and had seen injustices occurring on the roads. I was to absolutely remain calm, and it was way tougher than I expected. Give yourself a moment to reflect on the state of humanity, especially on the roads.


Tuesday:

There was a lot of work I had to do. Again, I told myself to remain calm while doing the work and forced myself not to think and stress about planning and projects that I still had to do. Instead, I focused on all the things I was grateful for and all the good things that have ever happened to me. Brightened my day. I could focus again.


Wednesday- Thursday:

Wasn't a lot of stress on these days. The positive vibes from the previous two days that I had forced on myself worked, and leaked over to Wednesday and Thursday. I was relaxed, focused, and had a cheerful spirit to complete the things I had to complete.


Friday:

This is where it hit the fan again. I started stressing about the next week's work, and my hand-in-dates for the week after that. As you probably have noticed, I tend to overthink things too much. I had to calm myself down after almost having a nervous breakdown. Again.
Positive things were hard to find now. Luckily I managed to keep the good things in life close to my heart. Enough to make it through to the weekend.


Reflection:

Phew. What a week. I can definitely say that I managed to keep the positive vibes going, even through the many perils and evils that I have faced. I know we all do this just to keep going, but I have learned the true importance and power of positivity. (Sounds cheesy, but it's true).




In this experiment, I have extracted the concept: "adjust".

I will be mingling it with my next task: Do something intentionally boring.


Stay tuned for the next episode in the series of my life!

9. Rekindle something you have neglected

Today, I have rekindled something I have neglected for a considerable amount of time:
make progress in reading the poetic epic: Paradise Lost.

First, let me explain why I neglected it for some time. The amount of work spent on my studies, projects, involvement in other people's lives and just overall everyday tasks have smothered the energy and commitment out of me to sit just quietly sit down and read a book. I know everyone says that "we youngsters should read more", but in-between all the things going on, I find it hard to find the time and place to get some reading done. BUT, I have succeeded in the task, and here is a brief documentation on my experience:

Now, Paradise Lost, a epic poem consisting of ten books, was written in 1667 by a lad named John Milton, while he was blind. His daughter had written down all the words he had spoken to her for the documentation of the poem. The poem consists of a rich vocabulary, knowledge of history and Biblical texts. The crux of the poem is mainly the subject of the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden, and the details surrounding that. Even though critics all agree that some parts of Milton's theology does not completely correspond with the Biblical text, he does however regiment an impressive narrative and series of dialogues in the progression of the poem. Its metaphors and similes include interesting historical events or places, even outside of the Bible. Some dialogues include man with God, Satan with Gabriel, Jesus Christ with Father God, and a third-person narrator, recording the events and sequences as they took place.

This was a very interesting book to go back to read, and was very fun to analyse in the footnotes and references. I would truly say that I have rekindled a passion for something that I have rubbed off for too long.

Thanks for reading!

8. Write down 100 questions that are very important.

Ok, so I have to write down 100 questions that are very important.

I will just throw it out there that these questions can vary in importance according to different people.
These are all questions that I want to know the answer to some day.

Let's begin:

1. Do all liquids contain water?
2. Why do dudes have nipples?
3. How many earths can fit into the sun?
4. If plants breathe and procreate, aren't they also regarded as animals?
5. How/ why do seasons exist?
6. Why do black holes exist?
7. Do dogs smile?
8. How do suns burn?
9. How are tears generated?
10. and why only when you cry or laugh?
11. In space, what is up and what is down (and vice versa)?
12. How/ why do we dream?
13. Why are days so short and nights so long in the North/ South Pole?
14. What happens in the cocoon when a butterfly is being made?
15. How does earth's gravity effect the moon?
16. What effect does the moon have on the tides on earth?
17. Why is it in our instinct to dance to rhythm or music?
18. Why do all healthy foods taste worse than the unhealthy ones?
19. Why is the grass green?
20. Is the grass really greener on the other side?
21. Is it better or worse to live now than in medieval times?
22. Why are Freddy Mercury's front teeth so large?
23. Why are some people's hair thicker than others?
24. Who invented musical notes?
25. Do crabs think fish can fly?
26. Why does a round pizza come in a square box?
27. Why are students often called "pupils"?
28. If nobody buys a ticket to see a film, do they still show it?
29. Why do people camp in the freezing cold?
30. What happened to chivalry?
31. Where has my mind gone?
32. Why are there unanswered questions?
33. Has anyone in history ever gotten impaled by a pole vaulting pole?
34. Has anyone in history ever gotten hit by a discus-throwing disc?
35. Why do people vote for candidates that are impostors?
36. Why do musical notes only go up to the alphabetical letter G?
37. Why do, if translated directly, Afrikaans call a camel a "camel-horse"?
38. Why, in their right minds, do people climb mountains?
39. Does blood flow in both muscles and arteries?
40. Isn't human life a little too fragile?
41. Why do we do what we do?
42. Why is the front of a ship called a "poop deck"?
43. Bread makes you fat?
44. Why can't dogs eat chocolate?
45. Why can't dogs eat peanuts?
46. Why is it that Sunday and Monday are so suspiciously close together?
47. Why do people buy 4x4's? Just...why.
48. Why isn't "sonder" considered an official word?
49. Why does mucus exist?
50. What is the fastest bps anyone has ever played on an instrument?
51. How wide is space?
52. What is so "plasma" about plasma televisions?
53. How many colours are there truly?
54. Why do cows re-chew?
55. How do you shrink corn?
56. Why does no one stop at stop signs?
57. Why are yawns contagious?
58. Why do we even yawn at all?
59. Why don't come cars, especially European ones, come with a thermometer? Especially if they are being sold internationally where climates are hotter?
60. Why do people skip traffic signs? (stop signs & red lights etc.)
61. How did Samson bind together the tails of the jackals?
62. How did he catch the jackals in the first place?
63. Why do people ignore to respond to messages, even though they've already read them?
64. Why do some animals eat bananas with the skin and eggs with the shell?
65. How old are you before it can be said you died of old age?
66. Why are nursery rhymes sometimes cruel and evil?
67. How did people tell time before the Gregorian calendar was instituted in 1582 or the Roman calendar by Julius Caesar?
68. Why do we say we’re head over heels when we’re happy? Isn’t that the way we normally are?
69. Why are most metal bands founded in the Northern Parts of Europe (like Finland and Norway)? It's the weather, isn't it?
70. Why, and how, are the nose, ears and mouth connected?
71. Why are awful movies/films/ television shows/music etc. so widely accepted and popular?
72. Why was Jeremy Clarkson fired for complaints about a piece of meat when he publicly insulted most of the world in the 13 years of run-time of Top Gear?
73. How the hell was Jack Torrence alive in 1924 in the film "The Shining" if he's a mortal human?
74. Why is a toilet called a "john"?
75. While we're at it, how do toilets work?
76. Why is Wednesday called "First Saturday"?
77. What on earth happened at the end of "Avengers: Infinity War"?
78. Why did athletes in Roman and Greek times compete naked?
79. Did Shakespeare really write his own poems?
80. Why didn't the captains on the Titanic listen to the boatmen's warnings of imminent impact with the iceberg?
81. How many miles to Babylon?
82. Why are there so many volcanoes around the South Pacific Ocean?
83. Who dictates street names?
84. What is the most played song on radio of all time?
85. Why are most comedians drawn to filthy jokes?
86. Why does time fly when you're having fun?
87. How many people have died playing video games?
88. How many people have lived on earth so far?
89. Who put the alphabet in math?
90. How many hours in total have been spent on playing World of Warcraft since it was launched in 2004?
91. What psychological effects does wall-colour have on the human brain in the work space?
92. What are voice vibrations called when someone sings?
93. What's the funniest joke ever told?
94. How many websites exist on the internet?
95. Why are most bosses tyrants?
96. How many films have ever been made?
97. Who caused the "Blackout" in the film "Blade Runner 2049"?
98. In the sci-fi game "SOMA", why do the  proxies want to kill the rest of the crew on Pathos 2 if the WAU's instructions is to preserve life?
99. Why do people risk their lives playing rugby?
100. Why?


The point I have gotten from this exercise was to read. Next time I will be:
rekindling something I have neglected by progressing in the poetic epic, "Paradise Lost".

Good night!

7. Spend an entire day without using the word "I" and care more about other people

So, today's topic followed spending the day without using the word "I".

If I think about it now, I did actually notice the times I chose not to say "I". It was pretty painful not caring for myself exclusively for once, but was a fun practice overall!

I started by helping my parents around the house with cleaning, making the food and hanging the clothes out in the wind to dry. Pretty casual stuff, but the day was just getting started.

I took a bunch of leftover food that we hadn't touched and gave it to some homeless people on the street. I like to keep things tidy between me and them, considering they do not have a steady income.

While talking to my friends, trying to execute proper sentences without using "I" is way more difficult than one could imagine, especially when giving your own opinion in the matter at hand. This exercised my patience a little bit, and I could use a bit more of that. It taught me how to more skillfully question people.


What I had learned, at the end of the day, was to listen more. We go through life so hastily, we don't stop to see the good things in life. This exercise taught me to take anxiety off of myself by forgetting about myself.


Like I said, this exercise taught me how to question people better.

In the next exercise, I will be writing down 100 questions that are very important.



Thanks for reading!

6. Read a biography of somebody you don't admire and show genuine interest

In my previous exercise, I learned to show interest in a specific topic.
I will be mixing that with my next endeavour- reading the biography of someone I do not admire and to be empathetic toward that person:
being the biologist, Charles Darwin.

Now, don't get me wrong. Just because I don't admire him doesn't mean I don't respect him or honour him, just to be clear. Prejudice doesn't play part here.

Now, Darwin was born Charles Robert Darwin on February 12^th, 1809 in Shrewsbury, England. He studied in the sciences, specifically as a naturalist and biologist, and is famously well- known for developing the theory of evolution, and is especially acknowledged in the scientific, biological and philosophical communities. Before publishing his book, On the Origin of Species, he voyaged across the globe in his studies on species, their progression and to further his research to formulate theories.

He specialised in the theory of natural selection, which stated that survival is deemed to the fittest of animals in the natural world, and that the weaker ones had died off. In his studies, he noticed similarities among species across the world, caused by adaptation and natural selection and based on these observations, developed his theories.  

Regarding his personal life, his father was a renowned botanist, but research suggests that he had personal struggles with his father in both his early and later life, which led him to rebel against his father's Creationist worldview, and follow the course of proving his father wrong. This includes when his father shrewdly sent his son to study to be a parson, which followed his father's disapproval of his passion in naturalistic studies. Later in life, near the end of his father's life, he had difficulties in his relationship with his father.

In his famous Voyage of the Beagle, the boat he used to sail across the globe, sailed around the coastlines of the southern parts of South America, included the most southern part of Africa, Cape Town, visited Mauritius and ended his journey on the southern coastlines of Australia, which is said to have consisted of his greatest discoveries in his theory for evolution. 

He died in his family home on April 19, 1882. His work is still cited today by many evolutionists and biologists as the foundation of the naturalistic mindset.

This was an interesting research trip. Darwin had lived a fascinating life in many different facets of study, and has done incredible research on various topics. I do admire him for his headstrong attitude and his attributes of loyalty to study.


 The lesson that I have learned is to care about people more.
The next stop will be: spend a day without using the word "I".


So goodnight, and good luck.




Some sources:

https://www.biography.com/people/charles-darwin-9266433
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Darwin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Darwin

x

5. Try out a new hobby while sitting down

Today I will be trying out a new hobby while sitting down, as the task from
the previous entry that I extracted was to sit down, as I interviewed my father.

Now, we all know Google Maps was a massive invention in the modern age, and that
it helped us on many days as we got lost while searching for a particular place in
the city or elsewhere, but today I will be doing something a little bit different.
A couple of months ago, I stumbled upon Google Maps again just to explore different
parts of the world and to really get reconnected with where everything sits on the earth.
Some places I just wanted to know where it was, and even discovered some new places
I haven't heard of before.

Today, I will be researching some of the big landmarks in Italy, and will just be doing
some random exploration, since travel tickets are so expensive. And so our journey begins.

The first thing I discovered while zooming into Italy, was the main island of Venice. Now, what I saw was quite surprising: there were more than 22 Catholic churches on just the middle islands of Venice. This could be that Catholicism is the most famous religion in Italian borders. I shouldn't be shocked, but it is quite extraordinary.

The second place that I visited, was the Pantheon. In its time, the Pantheon was a temple built to house the free worship of all gods in Rome, and it is fronted with many pillars and consists of a dome with an open roof on the inside.

I also visited the Colosseum, which, in 72 AD, seated over 50 000 spectators, and was used to showcase brutal gladiator battles and chariot races.

Right next to the Colosseum, stands the Arch of Constantine, a marble layered arch which commemerates the victory of Constantine I at Milvian Bridge in 312. It consists of three arches, of which the middle one is the largest, and the entire arch stands 21 meters high.  Romans  just always had to build the most impressive things, didn't they?

Next stop was Milan Cathedral, which was quite a spectacle in the first person viewing mode, and just explains to me the true magnitude of the building. Seated in the city of Milan's city square, the Milan Cathedral is the second largest Catholic church in the world. It took a staggering 50 years to complete, and is also regarded as one of the most beautiful churches in the world.

This was quite an epic journey for me as a history junkie. So much time and energy was spent in creating all of these magnificent buildings, and what a stunning collection of landmarks they are. I sure would've liked to have lived in Italy at some point, but this is a fun little substitute, for now at least.


The lesson I've learned in this exercise was to show interest. In the next one, I will be showing interest by reading a biography of somebody I don't admire.

Until next time!



Some sources:
http://traveluto.com/famous-landmarks-in-italy/
http://google.com/maps
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_of_Constantine

4. Talk to a mentor or expert about a specific topic and learn something new

In this exercise, I talked to my father about his job, and learned some surprising new things about the aspects of his profession.

He is a front-end website design and development specialist for R&A Strategic Communications stationed in Johannesburg, South Africa. Their clients include mainly national mining companies inside of South Africa, and some international mining companies.
He designs websites using mainly the Adobe Creative Suite.

Firstly, he receives the brief form the client and does some research on the type of company and specialization it is, then he sits down and  researches their corporate identity branding, finding out if it's suitable. He then starts thinking of and conceptualizing visual ideas of how to design the website.
He plans the user experience navigational site map for the website. He then draws out schematics where all the elements will be. then creates the page layout in layers in Photoshop, for example the top banner with the menu system where the branding will be, main information etc. These banners can rotate.
The rest of the website layout, including news, info about the investors, download documents etc. are broken up into compartments that make up the website's layout. Different pages can be shown with more information. The homepage has to be dynamic, as it constantly changes with new imported information, news and the look of the banners. The updates are done with different people in the office. The page is then pdf'd and sent to the client for feedback and possible changes. He does the changes, and once the client is happy, it's approved and development starts.
The development process works as follows: he builds two different templates, one for the homepage and one for the content page. He does it with a basic html page linked to style sheets that determine the look of the pages. The content sections has to be taken note of, increasing the technicality of the endeavour. He converts the html page into CMS (Content Management System) templates. He mainly uses the software Joomla or Wordpress. He installs the Joomla system to a database, installs the templates and it then results with the look of the site.
It is eventually uploaded to a client server where the client can view it and finalize changes. Once approved, the website is uploaded to a public server, and the job's done.

I learned the many technicalities of my father's work, and learned most of the things he does in his time at work. Mission accomplished!

The next TO DO includes try out a new hobby, but I shall do it while sitting down, because I sat down to interview my father for the exercise above. It will be exceedingly relaxing, I imagine XD.

Thanks for reading! Cheers.

3. Take an Extended Walk in Your Neighborhood

Me and my mother took a walk in the neighborhood and talked on various subjects.

The point of this exercise was to listen. She has told me great things which I had not known before.

The first thing my mother taught me was that, in the Bible, the two greatly close friends David and Jonathan were actually family. David's wife Michal was the son of king Saul, and the brother of Jonathan. Therefore the two were actually brothers-in-law. This I did not know. My mother is very well-versed in Scripture, and I give her great credit for that. Many times have I read about the two friends, but never have I read that passage of scripture before.

We walked on, and we discovered a new street we hand't known was even in the neighborhood. Very interesting. The street lead to a cul-de-sac and a drive-in estate. Now I know.

A second significant point was given by my mother: the next Star Wars movie, a franchise of which I am deeply fond, will feature the famous composer John Williams for the last time before he retires of his duties of composing. I was in shock for a moment, and was in pure disbelief. A staggering 66-year long career in music is finally brought to a close. Incredible. He has brought me many moments of awe and memories to cherish.

I have learned an excellent few things during the process of listening to my mother. Therefore my next exercise will be combined with the act of learning.

Next exercise: Talk to a mentor or expert about a specific topic and learn something new

2. Listen to an album you wouldn’t normally listen to at least 5 times; from the last song backwards.

A long day of hard work had burned me on both of my good ends. Logic disappears. The numbness in my fingers as I’m writing this. What I need now is a bit of relaxing music to ease the strain.

Part of the reason I chose this one is because I love music and I love to review albums individually.

Cruising up from down under, the said-to-be mighty album from Grammy winner Childish Gambino comes the “Awaken My Love!” album-effort. I always vowed myself to be open-ended to new and innovative music. After a couple of listens, this documents my experience:

The swing, the mood, the vibe and; oh my soul- the basslines, are all so tasty. As I listen from back-to-front, the three last tracks are so chill. Usually an album starts with the up-tempo stuff, so it’s interesting to hear it from this side on. “Stand Tall” is one trippy song, messing around with a flute and violin, and a couple of other instruments I cannot name by word of mouth. “The Night Me and Your Mama Met” is an instrumental effort, with a strong bassline that leads me straight into chilltown, with a funk guitar plucking away at greatness. Third-to-last “Baby Boy”, is a 6/8 and slow-tempo song, defined and refined by the Childish’s transcending voice, with a talking-track put over an expanse of melodic athleticism. Some great variation of elements in the song “California” that reminds me of the weird efforts of Gorillaz especially. It’s like Damion Albarn had a tequila with house music on an island paradise’s beach while watching Fast and Furious. Some fun organ playing with flutes on this track too. A choir appears in support of Gambino’s manic high-pitched Prince-esque voice on the stylish track “Redbone”. Reminds me of a song called “…Like Clockwork” by Queens of the Stone Age. The funk returns on “Riot”. Reminds me of a band The Mars Volta. Weird stuff. It sounds like Jar-Jar Binks singing after swallowing air from a balloon. “Zombies” is serious, serious Gorillaz-sounding :D. It’s a very contagious song. Love it. An excellent groove, mood and drum playing on “Boogieman”. The funk is strong with this one. The vocals are particularly amusing. A tight drum and bass groove on “Have Some Love” is making me sway to the bridge and chorus’ backwards rhythm. My favourite song so far. Interesting- the album opens with a child’s music box. The album works very well backwards, to be honest. “Me and Your Mama” switches to an intense vocal performance from the team, then back to a psychedelic triplet mish-mash of lazy drums, sleepy bass and hesitant ambient keyboards.

Some very interesting and new things going on this album. Some great new, innovative and experimental sounds. Childish’s voice is very unique. It makes me think of a mixture of Bruno Mars, OutKast, Usher and probably a few other well-known names. The witch-doctor-ish cover weirded me out with its glaring dead eyes.  I liked the album the more I listened to it.

What I had learned from this task was to truly listen.

The next task is:

Go for an extended walk in my neighbourhood while listening to my mother talk .

Thanks for reading!

1. Climb a tree and sit in it for a little while. Document your experience.

2018/02/13

I climbed a tree today. The tree in my back yard, in fact. After walking across my yard and finally sitting down on the tree, the past came to mind. I realized that it has been more than six years since I climbed that tree. It made me realize how fast time can pass once you let the consciousness of it go. A lot has happened in six years. It felt like my entire life was leading up to that one moment I sat up there, like a detective's board filled with cross-referenced dots and ropes leading up to one culprit.

The dogs next-door barked at me once I climbed. The last time I was there, those dogs weren't in the neighborhood. Once seated, I listened: cars thundering down the nearby streets, a group of men cruising and chuckling in conversation, swallows chattering. The sun was dimly lit as clouds obstructed its illumination.

The concept I extracted from this experience was climb.

This will be the additive to my next adventure:

Listening to an album you normally wouldn't listen to.

Thanks for reading.