Music for your Midweek: Mark Ronson (ft. Alex Greenwald) - "Just"

The hottest cover that I forgot existed and I used to love so so so much. Features high school crush Alex Greenwald from Phantom Planet (and also Donnie Darko! He plays a jerk). I'm too obsessed with Ezra Koenig's Beats Radio show, and he had Mark Ronson on which reminded me about this track. Anyway, the video is great too. Enjoy:

Saturday Verse: "Entre lo que veo y digo..." - Octavio Paz

 1

Entre lo que veo y digo

entre lo que digo y callo,

entre lo que callo y sueño,

entre lo que sueño y olvido,

la poesía.

     Se desliza

entre el sì y el no:

               dice

lo que callo,

        calla

lo que digo,

        sueña

lo que olvido.

            No es un decir:

es un hacer.

             Es un hacer

que es un decir.

            La poesía

se dice y se oye:

             es real.

Y apenas digo

        es real,

se disipa.

    ¿Así es mas real?

2

Idea palpable,

        palabra

impalpable:

             la poesía

va y viene

    entre lo que es

y lo que no es.

          Teje reflejos

y los desteje.

        La poesía

siembra ojos en la página,

siembra calabra en los ojos.

Los ojos hablan,

            las calabra miran,

las miradas piensan.

            Oír

los pensamientos,

                ver

lo que decimos,

            tocar

el cuerpo de la idea.

            Los ojos

se sierra,

       las palabras se abren.

                                       - Octavio Paz

English translation here.

Music for your Midweek: Joanna Newsom - "Leaving the City"

From our drive to the Tetons last weekend

I've never been too much of a fanatic about new music. I found what I liked in my own time, and didn't worry too much about knowing the latest thing. But there seems to be so many great albums coming out this season, and I'm turning into one of those kids counting down the days for a new release. It's a silly thing. One of the albums that I am unabashedly looking forward to is from Joanna Newsom. We're exactly one month away from the release date. Listening to a new album like that is like filling a new prescription.

Things are getting dramatic around here. I like it.

Also:

GOALS

A special bonus for you. It's fall, which means I'm listening to Owen Pallet/Final Fantasy ALL. THE. TIME. Here's a gem of a song for your ennui:

Actually, you should just watch the whole concert cause it's so so good. It's fitting that I feature Owen Pallett since I'm going to see Arcade Fire's The Reflektor Tapes tonight. He's part of all that stuff, remember?   

Saturday Verse: "Secure" - May Swenson

SECURE

Let us deceive ourselves a little
while         let us pretend that air
is earth         and falling lie resting
within each other's gaze         Let us 

deny that flame consumes         that
fruit ripens         that the wave must
break         Let us forget the circle's
fixed beginning marks to the
instant its ordained end         Let us 

lean upon the moment and expect
time to enfold us         space sustain
our weight         Let us be still       and
falling lie face to face and drink
each other's breath         Be still
Let us be still         We lie secure 

within the careful mind of death

- May Swenson                                                                                         

Music for your Midweek: Stromae - quand c'est?

New new video from Stromae released this week. It's a beauty. Wish I could post it without the distracting subtitles, but c'est le vie. 

Also, can someone please buy me all these clothes. 

I'm claiming them as my new uniform.

Something for Sunday: Getting past being "past feeling"

I often find myself in these slumps where I feel nothing, see nothing, or hear nothing encouraging. I've fallen into a state of being "past feeling" too many times, and decided to make it a study topic a month or so ago. I finally revisited it, and found some helpful counsel. This clip of Elder Faust helped me put things in perspective:

Oftentimes, being "past feeling" is a sign of selfishness. One of my biggest vices. I used to only think of selfishness as it related to covetousness and jealousy. It was in wanting everything for yourself and for your benefit. But selfishness is also manifest in how our minds are occupied. I focus my thoughts on myself and my own happiness. Even praying or reading my scriptures becomes a selfish act as I focus on my needs and how it makes me feel vs. a form of worship. My mind is occupied so much with my own thoughts and concerns, it leaves little space for much else. In studying this topic, I was led to some helpful quotes that I think we can all benefit from:

“Our capacity to feel controls our behavior in many ways, and by inaction when our feelings prompt us to do good, we deaden that capacity to feel. It was Jesus’ striking sensitivity to the needs of those about him that made it possible for him to respond in action... When we become too encrusted with error, our spiritual antennae wilt and we slip beyond mortal reach. This can happen to entire civilizations... Imperviousness to the promptings of the still small voice of God will also mean that we have ears but cannot hear, not only the promptings of God, but also the pleas of men” (A Time to Choose [1972], 59–60, Elder Neal A. Maxwell).

It does sounds cliche, but moments of service have helped me get out of my own head and feel like "myself" again after dark periods. It brings you back to a place of refuge. Trying to be susceptible and aware of the promptings, especially when it seems they don't exist, is an act of faith. It IS faith. Some beautiful council on the topic from Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin:

“I fear that some members of the Lord’s Church ‘live far beneath our privileges’ with regard to the gift of the Holy Ghost. Some are distracted by the things of the world that block out the influence of the Holy Ghost, preventing them from recognizing spiritual promptings. This is a noisy and busy world that we live in. Remember that being busy is not necessarily being spiritual. If we are not careful, the things of this world can crowd out the things of the Spirit... Some are spiritually deadened and past feeling because of their choices to commit sin. Others simply hover in spiritual complacency with no desire to rise above themselves and commune with the Infinite. If they would open their hearts to the refining influence of this unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost, a glorious new spiritual dimension would come to light. Their eyes would gaze upon a vista scarcely imaginable. They could know for themselves things of the Spirit that are choice, precious, and capable of enlarging the soul, expanding the mind, and filling the heart with inexpressible joy” (in Conference Report, Apr. 2003, 27; or Ensign, May 2003, 27).

These are beautiful promises. Wouldn't we all benefit from them? 

Saturday Verse: Psalm 23

PSALM 23 

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Read more on these verses here.