I really enjoy the style and sound of romantic character pieces for the piano. Definition.

I'll post links to some songs that I have played in the past and enjoyed.

This is a Chopin etude, Opus 25 no.1.
I played this piece for entrance into my university music program. I can't play it as well as Rubinstein, but I really enjoy it nonetheless.

.
/* */
I learned about this set of pieces through my music history class that I took. I think that this is probably one of the best versions on youtube. I really enjoy the feeling that the first and third piece evoke. They're only about 40 seconds and 80 seconds each.

.
/* */
I also played these two pieces for my audition, I had another two pieces in there as well, but I can't find a very good performance. These are on par to how well I play them. Pretty good, but not perfect. Scriabin 24 preludes, Op. 11 no.10,14.

.
/* */
SO. After all of that, What I'm basically looking for is someone to help me in my search for more repetoire to play, that's similar but different at the same time.

Difficulty is NOT something that I'm terribly worried about. The final Scriabin prelude is a Grade 10 or ARCT piece under the Royal Conservatory, and the other pieces are all ranked around Grade 9 or so. Anything more difficult will be a challenge but I think I'm up to it.

I guess you don't have to be musically cultured to respond to my request, and you can be musically cultured without having the ability to help me, but I still think it's a good way to ask for help.

So.... PAICE!

At least until I get bored and come back in a few weeks. I have no time for such foolishness right now.

Wait, what am I thinking....This means I'll have more time than ever for Newgrounds!
I'm gonna start doing sit-ups when I post again. I'm pretty sure I was the inspiration for the original NG workout that was around last year.

I'll try to include pictures whenever I feel like it.

I'm going to write my opinions on the above soon.

Maybe if I have a couple hours to spare.

Topics : Safety
Proliferation
Waste

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS NUCLEAR WASTE. DON'T EVEN TEMPT ME BY CLAIMING THERE IS.

EDIT: I know it's been like 2 months. I honestly haven't bothered with NG for a while now anyways.

I went on a 45 minute tour of a SLOWPOKE Nuclear Reactor that is on my campus! Seeing as how this directly relates to my area of study, I found the design and function absolutely incredible!

I'll post a couple tidbits that I learned while on the tour!

- Most nuclear reactors are held at a negative pressure level. This is to ensure that if any breaches between inside and outside occur, air from outside will rush INTO the building to prevent any radiated particles from escaping. So, as you can imagine, there was an airlock needed just to get inside the building!

- I experienced a radiation level of 1x10^-6 Seiverts by being inside the plant for the length of time that I was. My body usually experiences 500x10^-6 Seiverts by being in the sun, so the radiation level is well within acceptable levels.

- Cerenkov radiation was clearly visible in the reactor pool, giving off a blue hue characteristic of the medium in which the core resides, water. No-one really knows why radiation is associated with a green glow, as uranium itself is silver and plutonium emits a yellow blackbody radiation spectrum.

I'll look back someday and laugh. I guess I deserve it, I haven't been following the golden rule recently.

- A girl I was dating when summer started cheated on me with another guy while she was in another province. After getting back to school this September and realizing she wasn't serious about continuing a meaningful relationship after seeing her a couple times, I decided to break things off completely.

I did the right thing. I could be getting toyed around with and having random cas sex with her whenever, but for the sake of my dignity I decided not to. I can find someone better who won't find the need to play the field of dicks.

Has anyone here ever been cheated on? It's not cool. I know relationships can often be a bust on Newgrounds, but situations become different once you become an active party rather than just someone giving advice. I always told myself that I'd have no mercy whatsoever, but I was ready to forgive her until I realized that she was just playing games. Sounds shitty that I was ready to go back on my word just for a girl that I liked but that's the way it is.

- My birthday was tonight. I didn't do much, chilled with the Cross Country team, went out with my room-mate for a sweet dinner, finished a bottle of wine and watched the university football team win at the local beer tent. All in all a pretty low-key night. I might go wild tomorrow, apparently there's a kegger.

- I made my varsity cross country team. It's a sweet deal, even if I'm not top 8. I think being a walk-on to a university cross country team is sweet. Anyone else run lots or even a little?

I've been getting a treatment called IMS. They basically jab you with needles until your muscles go into spasms (or cramps), and then wait until they get so stressed that they relax. As soon as the relaxation happens, they move the needle to another spot in the muscle and do it all over again. The theory is that by putting my muscles under duress, they will heal correctly, unlike the state that they are currently in. I've been getting ultrasound treatments, and some stress-relax stretches.

My doctor described it as "uncomfortable", but I could probably describe it as extremely painful. He mentioned casually that it probably hurts a little more than a tattoo, but it really depends on where you get them. Seeing as how it was the backs of my quads, into my hamstrings, things get pretty sensitive back there. Picture someone pinching the skin back there... ouch!

Also: I got the sweet little Kodak C813 (EasyShare) for 99.99. I had to buy a 2GB SD card, but that was only 14.99. Not a bad deal for an 8.2 megapixel camera if I say so myself! Heck, I've spent more at the bars before!

My dad bought a car for me.

He spent 3000 on a 2001 Pontiac Sunfire. It is purely for commuter use this summer to get me to and from my summer job. We plan on selling it again in September, and I'll pay him the difference in prices (if any). I put my sound system in (subs), and now I roll around in a Sunfire that plays rap way too loud.

So now, if you ever see a shitty car with loud bass, remember it might be someone like me. Most likely not though... most people that do it are idiots I'll admit.

I'm working at a golf course. Unfortunately, I have to wear a shirt while I work so I've got an awesome farmer's tan already. Still 2 1/2 months left! I'm practically gonna look Somalian. I love the job, it's like landscaping except I do a lot less. Haha.

I plan on running a Toronto Marathon. If anyone is from that area I'd appreciate their opinion as to which is the best one! So far it's between the Waterfront and the T.O, but I'm leaning towards the Waterfront because it's on the water!

Rubik's cube video update soon. I'm getting slightly better at the Petrus method. I used to do 2:10, and I'm averaging about 1:30. Not to shabby for only doing it a couple times per week.

Because of that damn click-able banner on the side that advertises "BIG APPLE CON" (who gives a fuck. really.) I can't run my auto-deposit program to get me my 5 votes and experience. The program I created doesn't recognize the click-able area and causes all sorts of problems.

BOOO!

In other news, it's was 33.6 degrees Celsius when I left for my run at like 9:30 AM, and was 31.6 when I got back at about 10:30.

Hrm.

I just ran one!

My finishing time was 3 hours, 37 minutes and 9 seconds. (3:37:09).

It's not as fast as I had hoped/planned, and my first two splits were right on track to do well. My first 10K split was 45:06, and my 21.1K half split was 1:36:12. Which means I was doing pretty well, and I would have been close to my 3:10:59 goal, off by a minute or so.

However, my third split at 30K was about 2:20, meaning that I would have had to do 12 kilometers in 50 minutes or less, something pretty fast after already doing 30K, although I was ready to do it up until that point.

Soon after, I started getting muscle spasms in my legs, meaning I was either dehydrated, hot, unprepared, or a combination of the three. The hell had only begun, as the conditions of my legs slowly worsened until I was finally resigned to walking for about 60 seconds every kilometer. My finishing time shows that it took me 77 minutes to do the final 12K, a pace of over 6 m/k, an abysmal pace considering the rest of the race had been run at about 4:30-4:35m/k.

I must say though, that the crowds in Ottawa were inspiring, and while I thought of stopping many times, their cheers roused me and forced me to continue hobbling towards the finish. Thanks to anyone that was out there.

I'm gonna upload a pic or two after I'm not lazy, maybe a video of me straining past 21.1K.

My friend wrote a quick lyric about my running. It's funny :

My name's James bitch
Run my marathon in a speedy outfit
Doin it all just to get some big tits-
-IN MY FACE.
It's why I run the race.