July '14 Favorites: Music

Arabella by Arctic Monkeys

The chills down my spine come from:

• the lyrics to this song
• the spider-like percussion that sneaks in pass the booming bass the first few seconds in
• and the wafting sound of what I can only guess is a muffled mallet thrusted onto the surface a jumbo drum, causing the beat to melt down the bridge of the song (along with my body... down a wall...)

I have a handful of songs in my life that've become attached to memories instantly triggered as soon as the first note plays. One's "Let It Be" by The Beatles, which I can no longer listen to because it was played at a funeral I went to. Another is "Trying to be Cool" by Phoenix, which automatically brings me back to the night (slash morning) I spent in the hospital with my mom. Takes me straight back to that thin, cold cot; my Colts Snuggie; my Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood marathon on the school's rented laptop; and the RAW vegan Coconut Butter Brick cupcake I was munching on quietly with a plastic fork.

This song reminds me of gloriously sweltering summer days-- specifically this summer. It fits like a dream: hand-in-hand with the bonding days I've spent with a friend just this summer. The same friend who actually introduced me to this song months ago. I'd vaguely listened to the Arctic Monkeys' newest album a long time ago. Liked it, but nothing stuck... Until this was played to me through the intricate workings of a subwoofer-- DJ'd by the driver.

Preeetty much play this song all the time now, wherever I go.

Pretty much a necessity.

Super Rich Kids by Frank Ocean ft. Earl Sweatshirt

I've been listening to this album, but it took a loooong minute before the lyrics of Super Rich Kids struck me as genius. Like... This summer. Probably in the past month or two.

I mean... 

Not only do I love the clever play-on-words (she wash my back three times a day/the shower head feels so amazing... COME ON NOW!!!), but I adore the rhythm and especially the soulful, smooth feel it eventually pulls into the song. Initially, the beat sounds monotonous like a metronome... Like a continuous routine, but then loosens up as Frank Ocean spits truth about "Super Rich Kids"!

I just love the artistry that was mastered in this song.

Like I said, it took me forever to fully appreciate a song like this. So yes, I was late on understanding the hype that is Frank Ocean.

Hope you enjoyed my music favorites of July 2014! The words came rushing to me at 5:40am, and I HAD to entertain it. I'm pretty proud of this write-up; I hope you are too!

Now if you'll excuse me... It's past 6am, and I don't think my mind's able to produce much else. It's been fueled by music and has writing haikus for hours now. Definitely time to take a breather and rest. Good (night) morning!

 

Living Life

Source: Tumblr

I'm a pretty simple person:

I just want to be loved, get and give great hugs, eat delicious food, and be surrounded by good company and energy.

Unfortunately, Life doesn't always have these same pleasures in mind.

Life is a manifestation of the good and bad. Sometimes we'll experience sadness so painful that it becomes physically hard to breathe, and you wonder if it's worth living through such heightened agony. Other times you will feel so intoxicated with happiness and light that you'll wonder if you'll ever touch the ground again.

But Life was meant for you to feel it all. You're strong. Our hearts are resilient-- just look at how far you've come.

Feel it all, and know that: time passes, hearts heal, and love is loyal as long as you look for it (within yourself and your passions) and hold it close.

Life's highs never last, but it doesn't mean you're living a bad Life. It just means you're living. Make the best of it and know that the heavy times will eventually pass. You were built to overcome.

Source: Tumblr

PSA: Mental Illness IS Black and White

Karyn Washington, Founder of "For Brown Girls" and Advocate, committed suicide at 22 earlier this year.

***DISCLAIMER: I KNOW my views do NOT apply to everyone in any community or race, but it is still an issue for ALL human beings regardless.

Mental illnesses have no biases, yet to me, families of color tend to think so. 

Unfortunately back in April, a woman named Karyn Washington committed suicide. She was known for uplifting the self-esteem of black women who are constantly told by society that their skin color made them "not good enough" or weren't supposed to wear bold colors on full lips... Anything repressing the beauty of black girls, she voiced against and made a huge impact.

Her death wasn't in vain. It sparked conversation about mental illnesses in the black community. I feel that mental illnesses are frowned upon. Looked at as a "white person's problem."

People of color can be told that they're: 

• going through a "phase"
• possessed by the devil
• need to pray it away
• acting white
• to stop acting out

Etc. Etc... The list really does go on and on. But we need to stop telling ANYONE these things. Take calls and yelps for help SERIOUSLY. Black people are NOT too strong for mental illnesses (unfortunately for anyone). NO ONE has the ability to JUST pray away mental illnesses. We're not gonna start off with a "Dear God" and majestically-- with puffs of glitter surrounding us-- become happy and mentally healthy.

No matter HOW strong your faith is in ANYTHING, it isn't that easy and instant. Healing of any sort isn't that easy and instant.

LISTEN WHEN SOMEONE CRIES FOR HELP. Do NOT brush it off as anything but A CRY FOR HELP and take NECESSARY actions: listen, give them hotlines, online sources, suggest therapy, medication... ANYTHING but things that will suggest that they are just being overdramatic and are filled with the devil.

PLEASE. I can tell you that it is not fun to feel like you have nowhere to turn because everyone in your community aren't taking your warning signs seriously.

Please break these habits. Change lives and detrimental perspectives.

If you want to read more people speaking out on Karyn's suicide (a lot of them speak more eloquently than I, and have sources to back them up), here are some:

• http://www.beyondblackwhite.com/founder-black-girls-advocate-us-karyn-washington-committed-suicide-suck/
• http://hellobeautiful.com/2014/04/15/karyn-washington-for-brown-girls-suicide-explained/
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/16/karyn-washington-for-brown-girls_n_5162226.html

You can Google Search "Karyn Washington's Suicide" for even more articles.

And here is Karyn's Legacy: http://www.forbrowngirls.com

Enjoy your day and be sure to make the world a little bit better.

Tips + Tricks: Reheating and Reviving Leftover Steak

So you just couldn't finish that steak, eh?

Well... I never can. But the last few I've had have been perfection: Medium rare, charred, juicy, thick, and tender.

What I realized taking the stiff, cold thing from the fridge the next day was:

How am I going to successfully heat this thing??

So I'm here to tell you what I do; it works every time for me! First I stick the steak in a durable plastic bag (make sure it can take heat) like the picture below.

Boil some water...

Then place the bagged steak in a heat-resistent container, and wait. I placed a heavy spoon on top to make sure the entire steak was submerged.

Give it anywhere from 7 to 15 minutes to heat (I usually lose track of how long I keep it in the water) and it'll be heated up, but still juicy and for the most part medium rare! The only parts that may thoroughly cook through is the very outside of the steak, but it's still just as tender and moist as the rest of the steak. 

If you want to doctor it up, you can add one last step: quickly sear it in a pan (so as not to over... uh... recook) with a little butter, salt, and pepper if you feel it needs a little "oomph!".

Enjoy your future leftovers!

NOT a Spoiler. Just a Truth.

I was watching Orange is the New Black and although Piper can annoy me, she said something real:

"I miss human contact." And she started to tear up.

I can 100% relate. I’ve been on campus and felt so low and dark when all I needed was a hug or my hand to be held.

Being a commuter means you always have that feeling of being an outsider. And I’d feel that, and more.

Humans need contact. They can’t live without it. It almost drove me insane… I can relate the NEED to be touched. Not sexually… Just civilly.

We are love-encompassed beings after all.