Archive for the theonlywayisup Category


Eating under the dinner table is something I hope to experience

Yesterday, I watched Memoirs of a Geisha, and decided that life is art. Graduation is in a week, and the time for highbrow philosophizing is over. I’m not going to rant anymore about freedom or human zombies or personality change… well, maybe just a little bit. Heading into the real world with unrealistic expectations, my only thoughts now are “go to Japan” and “my bank accounts can only hemorrhage for two more years.”

I was never one to believe in work-life balance. Life is art; risking it all, I’ll be a full-time artist. This is vague, but it is enough to act on. This is a proper course of action for a self-serving child born from a generation of self-sacrificing parents. This is the right path for yuppies with broken dreams.


Bokurano OP - Uninstall

Ishikawa Chiaki

Uninstall lyrics:

Uninstall.
Ano toki saikou no riaru ga mukou kara ai ni kita no wa
Bokura no sonzai wa konna ni mo tanjun da to warai ni kitan da
Mimi wo fusaidemo ryoute wo surinukeru shinjitsu ni madou yo
Hosoi karada no doko ni chikara wo irete tateba ii?
Uninstall. Uninstall.
Kono hoshi no musuu no inochi no
Hitotsu da to ima no boku ni wa rikai dekinai
Uninstall. Uninstall.
Osore wo shiranai senshi no you ni furumau shika nai
Uninstall.
Uninstall.

Uninstall.
Back then, the greatest shock to our reality
Was that our lives were so primitive and simplistic, it was laughing in our faces.
Even covering my ears, the truth slipped through my fingers and left me confused.
Where in my frail body am I supposed to hold the strength to stand?
Uninstall. Uninstall.
Right now I can’t even begin to understand
How the countless lives on this planet are essentially one.
Uninstall. Uninstall.
It looks like I’ll have no choice but to act as a soldier who knows no fear.
Uninstall.
Uninstall.

After uninstalling Counter-Strike, everything CS disappeared from my reality. I browsed Gamespot for hours looking for a game that could fill the emptiness inside of me, but I couldn’t find one. I reinstalled and uninstalled like an addict trying to quit, and I craved the rush of a headshot for the longest time.

Since then, I’ve also uninstalled WoW, Guild Wars, and Melty Blood. I’ve uninstalled birthdays, holidays, and movies with IMDb scores of less than 8. I’ve uninstalled politics, sports, and the news. I know that it’s working because I haven’t seen the word Iraq in the longest time.

Things that truly matter to me give off a poignant “I’m sad that it’s over, but glad that it happened” feeling when they’re uninstalled. Things that were important wastes of time give off an extremely empty feeling. Unimportant things depart with only a whisper.

Shiho Hoshida - Akai Hana

Fight for Territory, by Giangiorgio Crisponi

There’s one year left until graduation, and as those around me contemplate their futures, I plan great escapes from futures that I reject. Others see opportunity in career, but I see only the trappings of modern-day decadence: a diffusion of purpose; a rat race.

The American dream did not daunt me, but I lost myself to the fear of poverty and jumped headlong into the sea of rats. Soon I was struck by disillusionment, and then burnout. I entrusted all of my remaining hopes and dreams to my kids. Then I found myself in a wonderful dilemma, the mid-life crisis. When I emerged, I was back where I had started. By then, my time had passed, and a new generation had taken the stage. A bitter nostalgia lingered. It felt as if I’d lived my time in the World of Warcraft all over again - leveling up my image from one to sixty, but not once recognizing the reality of my stagnation.

Up to now I’ve been getting by with just pretty thoughts and pretty green hair, but this time I need to create tangible value to escape my fate. The products of my desperation will save me.

Reflections, by Martin Fransson

Halcyon, by Arif Tanju Korkmaz

Reflections, by Martin Eliassen

Global Warming, by Salih Guler

Five years ago I saw the majestic space opera Crest of the Stars and decided to build a space elevator. Three years ago I changed my mind when I saw My Sassy Girl and said to myself, “space is cold, but Jeon Ji Hyun is hot.” Twice today I was left utterly speechless by extreme prettiness in unexpected places (Hana Yori Dango 2, ep10.)

Aesthetics is a drug, powerful and threshold-raising. An encounter of ten seconds can shock me out of a three-month blogging lull. Yet, for finding and reveling in paragons of human radiance, I am doomed to lonely heights. Desirous of improvement, devoid of contentment, the antithesis of naivete.

harajuku school girls

harajuku schoolgirls!

1. Rush to class

Forget about composure! Rush to class to get much-needed exercise. Being late to class is both physically and mentally stressful, so take it as a chance to practice stress management techniques. Stress causes a release of adrenaline, which helps to encode strong memories of class material.

2. Procrastination is key

Inspiration is vital for increased concentration and efficiency. It’s the key to getting things done fast. The threat of a looming deadline is the most consistent source of inspiration that I know of. Harness its power with procrastination.

Even for an inspired person, work is work. Work will still take up time and energy. Plan ahead or the quality of procrastinated works will suffer. There is no guilt associated with careful procrastination. Accurately judging the time needed for a certain piece of work is a skill gained with practice.

“A deadline is negative inspiration. Still, it’s better than no inspiration at all.” -Rita Mae Brown

2.5 Life in overdrive

Those who intentionally overload themselves with work will discover that life is not much worse than it was before. Take four or more AP classes. Take more than 22 credits. Negative inspiration runs rampant in busy people.
This is really interesting. By taking 30-40 credits per semester, Steve Pavlina was able to graduate college in three semesters.

3. Cram for exams

This only works for classes in which you regurgitate knowledge without thought. Introductory biology, psychology, and history come to mind. These classes require zero study except at exam time. Take advantage of powerful short-term memory and cram weeks of information into the one night before an exam. Start early and study quickly.

Try not to pull an all-nighter. Without sleep, the knowledge crammed won’t stick around for the long term, and you’ll find yourself in a pinch when the cumulative final exam rolls around.

4. Use piracetam

Piracetam is a nootropic drug that enhances cognition and slows down brain aging. Since it has no side effects, it is unregulated and inexpensive in the US. Buy it online and use it like a nutritional supplement to gain a subtle boost in intelligence.

5. Don’t pay attention during class

Paying full attention in class is inefficient because knowledge often arrives slower than the ability to absorb it. When learning, learn with intensity. Always have some other material to study. When you hear but do not learn, divert your attention away from the lecturer and study something else. Try not to do homework in class though, because homework requires a lot of concentration and is difficult to multitask.

6. Apply NaNoWriMo to your essay writing

NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, is a creative writing project in which participants attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in only one month. The pace is too quick for editing, so the project emphasizes “quantity over quality.”

Use the same principle for essays. Bust out the pages like a wild rabbit first, and edit later. Type before you think, because you can fix it later. No paragraphs? No problem! Writing in this carefree manner is much faster than typing in perfect paragraphs from the start.

7. Buy the solutions manual for textbooks

Getting stuck while doing math/physics/engineering problems is a giant waste of time. It’s the chaff of the critical thinking process and doesn’t contribute to learning. Buy the solutions manual and skim it before attempting the problem so that you don’t get stuck.