Day 59 – February 28th – Hey There Delilah

A pure and simple love song today, and one that became a huge success around the world in 2007. ‘Hey There Delilah‘ by Plain White T’s was actually first released in 2005, although didn’t gain much publicity or popularity until almost two years later.

It’s quite a stripped-back song, focussing mainly on the beautiful poetic lyrics and acoustic melody. It is spoken from the perspective of a man, explaining the lengths that he would go to for a woman he loves:

I feel that it is once again one of those songs that can be very personal to people, either as something that they can relate to or something that they would wish for. Either way, it is no doubtedly a song to help lift your spirits if you’re feeling low.

Day 58 – February 27th – Utopia

‘Utopia‘ is seen as perfection. It is, in simple, an ideology describing a perfect society.

Based off of an island described in Sir Thomas More’s ‘Utopia‘, written in 1516, it is actually quite an ironic term. More saw it as possessing a ‘seemingly perfect socio-politico-legal system‘. However, the term comes originated from Greek, translating as ‘not place’, suggesting that More himself did not feel that the ideal place was realistically possible. It made the concept itself more of an allegory, meaning that it wasn’t literal, but rather figurative; symbolic of an idea.

Admittedly, the implementation of such a system does seem a very long way away, if not extremely unlikey. However, as I have previously expressed, particularly in posts such as that on ‘altruism‘, it can be used as a symbol for what we want to achieve; what we wish to aim for. To be able to commit to change, there needs to be a vision; an expression of what the outcome should be. What better vision for our future than a Utopia?

The ‘altruistic connotations’ expressed in the video game ‘Bioshock 2‘ extend to the idea of Utopia. The main antagonist, Sofia Lamb, a psychologist, wished to create Utopia by turning her daughter into a superhuman by combining all of the great minds into one person, then using mental conditioning to control her. As a requirement of Utopia, lamb expressed that “Utopia cannot precede the Utopian. It will exist the moment we are fit to occupy it.“

Ironically, I feel that Lamb was correct. As is then expressed in one of the endings of the game: “If Utopia is not a place, but a people, then we must choose carefully. For the world is about to change…” A functioning paradise cannot create itself. If we want something better, then we must all, as a society, strive for it. If we choose not to stand up and act, then there is little hope.

Day 57 – February 26th – The Prettiest Star

‘The Prettiest Star‘, by David Bowie, is quite an unusual song. Not in terms of its lyrics, which are sweet and quite clear, but rather compared to other songs that Bowie was producing at the time, back in 1970. Around that era, Bowie was well-known for more ‘psychedelic’ music, focussing on glam rock and pop. His songs were mostly rather upbeat, with eccentric lyrics and vocals.

‘The Prettiest Star’, though, from the 1973 album ‘Aladdin Sane‘, could be seen as a respite from the quirkyness of the times.It’s a stripped-back, mellow song about love:

What makes me appreciate this song, I feel, is that not only are the lyrics simple, but they’re absolutely beautiful.  It is a song that is short but extremely sweet. The simple phrase ‘The Prettiest Star’ I find so delicate, yet meaningful. I find it a credit to David Bowie, showing his diversity as an artist and a writer. It’s just so inspirational!

Day 56 – February 25th – Michael Stipe

I’ve chosen to focus on Michael Stipe, the lead vocalist of R.E.M., because I find him to be truly inspiring. As a fan of the band, I follow what the members get up to, but, in particular, I’m interested in Stipe because of how active he is, both in the media and politically.

His main profession is a singer, and even there he displays his intelligence through his intriguing – and often quite surreal – lyrics. I have already talked about several of R.E.M.’s songs this year, which can be found under the ‘Music’ section of the blog. He is the sort of person who likes to experiment with themes, which is why each of the band’s albums has a unique underlying focus.

Stipe is also a producer, both of music and film. For example, he helped to produce the films ‘Being John Malkovich‘, ‘Velvet Goldmine‘, and ‘Man on the Moon‘, as well as the album ‘Magnapop‘.

Something that always interests me about modern ‘celebrities’ is political activism. Stipe act both directly and indirectly, incorporating political-oriented lyrics into some of his songs, as well as speaking outright about his political stance. His level-headedness and clear views make me respect him hugely. An example of this is as such:

“I’ve been to places where people my age had never voted in a democratic election. To go to the voting poll with someone in the former Czechoslovakia, a grown man, and watch him cast his vote for the first time brings tears to your eyes. the right to vote is a privilege I want to remind people of.”

On top of everything else, Michael Stipe is also a keen photographer and artist, once again taking a less than conventional approach to his work. An interesting archive of some of his photos is at ‘FuturePicCenter‘, where he posted a photo every day throughout 2007, showing the full extent of his work.

What I think is greatest about Stipe is that he has a strong position in so many fields. He is able to work in a constructive manner, influencing the masses with the ‘art’ that he produces.

Day 55 – February 24th – Us

‘Us‘ from the album ‘Soviet Kitsch‘ by Regina Spektor is a song about irony. In fact, it goes deeper than that, although, with the abstract lyrics that Regina presents, the meaning is quite difficult to come by. However, the music video helps to explain it very simply and in a different manner to the song itself:

What the song is trying to get across, I feel, is the irony of how expectation is put upon certain people, perhaps even worshiping them. However, when these expectations are not reached, or they do something wrong, these people are turned against and everything that they were given is simply taken away.

I suppose that there are several different contexts where this is applicable. One example is through misunderstanding. Something can appear great, yet later be found out to simply not be. Another example is how some people can do plenty of good, helpful, righteous work, yet one simple mistake on their part ruins their reputation. We as a society tend to focus on the bad points rather than the good, and take punishment far more seriously than reward. It takes a while to build something up, yet mere moments to knock it down again, as is demonstrated in the video regarding decorating the room.

Still, this is just my interpretation. The song may very well mean something different to you. Either way, it’s an extremely intelligent, thoughtful set of lyrics.

Day 54 – February 23rd – Expectations

I apologize for what appears to be a sudden influx in conceptual matters. However, todays post is important to me, although it may not flow very well, due to the spontaneity of it.

Expectations are terrible things. They outline some sort of moral or ethical code that you are meant to live up to. Whether they are expectations that you place upon yourself, or that others have placed upon you, there is very little good in them.

I suppose one problem that can derive from expectations is disappointment. If you expect something, and it doesn’t happen, then you are likely to be disappointed. If you did not have such expectations in the first place, however, then what?

Disappointment is a hard thing to live with, but what is even more difficult to cope with is if you do not live up to the expectations of others. First of all, for others to outline standards that they wish for you to meet is selfish and inconsiderate of them, but more importantly they can then become disappointed in you. Shame is extremely damaging, and can spiral out of control is somebody them believes that they are not good enough. The fact of the matter is that you are good enough. It doesn’t really matter what others think of you as long as you are happy with yourself.

Instead of placing expectations on everything, why not just take things as they come? With expectations, the best outcome is that what you expected to happen happens. If you do not hold those expectations in such high regard, however, you may well find yourself frequently pleasantly surprised. It ends up changing the way you perceive events and their outcomes.  More importantly, to not constrain yourself with expectations of what you should be means that you can more easily be yourself. It is great to have goals; aspirations; hopes; dreams – let those be what they are, though, rather than punishing yourself when things don’t always go to plan. After all, things very rarely go to plan; you just need to look at the actual outcome, instead of pondering over what could have been.

Day 53 – February 22nd – Altruism

I find altruism fascinating. First of all, the word itself sounds intriguing, yet strangely sophisticated. However, what it evidently far more important is the meaning. One definition is stated as:

“the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others”

What that means is being selfless; acting for other people with little regard for oneself. It’s an ideological concept, and not one that can merely be thrust upon somebody. It isn’t as simple a case as just wanting to act in an altruistic way. First of all, it is a concern or devotion, such that you must truly feel about such a thing. Second of all, in modern society it is sadly something that would be extremely difficult to implement, as is suggested by the definition for animal altruism:

“behavior by an animal that may be to its disadvantage but that benefits others of its kind, as a warning cry that revealsthe location of the caller to a predator”

Evidently what this is saying is that, although to be altrusitc is to act for the greater good, it is sometimes to put oneself at risk; to be open to be taken advantage of by others. By protecting others, you are making yourself more susceptible to danger. That is true selflessness.

So, if an altrustic state is so difficult to reach, why am I talking about it? Well, as humans, we try and aim to better ourselves constantly. We do this through many means, such as collecting material possessions or even comparing ourselves to others, trying to be better than them. it is a great flaw of our species, but something that cannot seem to be helped. However, to achieve true moral and ethical high ground, which is – as far as I’m concerned – the ‘best’ we can be, acting for the sake of others is extremely important. I don’t necessarily mean doing it for ourselves, but rather aiding those in need to make ourselves better people to be viewed by others. Altruism is something we should all strive to achieve. Like all long-term goals, we shouldn’t go straight for it, but rather attempt to reach such a state slowly and steadily.

It’s about starting to act for the sake of others. Referring back to ‘Constructive/Destructive Behaviour‘, it’s about doing what we can. Perhaps not at first going out of our way to help, but at least making the most of opportunities that we are given to do a good deed.

Quite ironically, some of the better examples of altruistic behaviour that I can find lie in video games. Bioshock, in particular (and moreso Bioshock 2) – a ‘world’ based off of the book ‘Atlas Shrugged‘ – holds altruistic connotations. Acting for the ‘greater good’ can often be used as an excuse to commit atrocities, making it important to questions whether one person knows what is best for the majority. Should a small sacrifice be made if the results have greater benefits overall?

At the end of the day, we aren’t going to raise up as ‘superior beings’, but it never hurts to lend a hand in a time of crisis. You never know, your selfless concern may well save a life.

Day 52 – February 21st – Nighttime

The night is always quite mysterious. Darkness consumes the world and even the most familiar scenes seem somehow unfamiliar. It can often be quite a scary time, with long shadows draw out and dark alleys: the change in lighting alters our perception; our recognition of things.

However, I also find the night to be quite nostalgic. There’s something about the low yello aura and the cool breeze which puts a smile on my face. There’s is no doubt that nighttime is special, but it also holds many secrets. What you find is tranquility; solemnness; loneliness. It allows you space to breathe; to think. My mind races at night, at a pace that I wasn’t aware that I was capable of. I consider matters in my life and make many decisions. It’s an inspirational time just to get away from everything.

The darkness holds many-a-spectacle. If you look in the right places, you can find wonders. This week I’ve been heading out in the evening to try some urban nightscape photography. I was quite stunned by some of the scenes I managed to capture. I would like to share just a few of my favourites with you; those which had the most impact on me:

Day 51 – February 20th – Freedom (concept)

Freedom, I feel, is hard to define. It’s much more than most people believe, mostly because it isn’t a concept that people generally go that far into thinking about.

When considering a theme for a ‘narrative photography’ project that I’m currently doing, freedom crossed my mind, and I considered what freedom means to me. To help inspire myself, I wrote a few paragraphs, which covered a few different types of ‘freedom’: physical, mental and spiritual.

What do you think about when you consider ‘freedom’? For many, it would be lack of constraint; the ability to do, say and go where you choose. But how much deeper does the true meaning go? How important is freedom?

Physcial freedom is the ability to move as you wish. It is easy to believe that it is something that everyone has the right to; that everyone is entitled to. Imprisonment is oppression to our ability to move; our ability to breathe and live how we want to.

Mental freedom is being able to speak your mind. Oppression to mental freedom – even indoctrination – can numb the mind such that you may not even know what you truly feel. Even when you are still breathing, you heart pumping blood around your body rhythmically, you can already be dead if you’ve lost yourself.

Spiritual freedom, although sometimes falling foul of circumscription, is often restrained by the law. Governing bodies so commonly strike out against spiritual and ethical freedom. Discrimination through the masses leads to restraint, and – in the most extreme cases – an annihilation of belief, of hope.

Considering my definitions, are any of us really free? I feel that freedom must therefore be reevaluated. To make the concept subjective allows the realization that, in many ways, we must work for our freedom. Others can never truly control your mind and, as long as you are strong in your beliefs and opinions, knowing who you are, then you are free.

Day 50 – February 19th – Freedom (song)

‘Freedom‘, by Nizlopi, is a beautiful song about love, and the metaphorical imprisonment – or freedom – that it can bring:

(Note: there is some swearing in the song!)

The lyrics are extremely powerful, even if you have to search a little bit to find their meaning. They speak of how, to be free, you have power over your life and, more importantly, choice. However, when you’re in love, there is no denying it and there is little you can do to stop yourself from becoming infatuated. You can try and fight it, but why would you really want to?

The song is exremely personal, and very sentimental, which is what makes Nizlopi such an amazing duo – they’re honest and down to Earth. On one hand the song is so amazing that you can’t help but smile, yet on the other it’s realism is quite saddening…