Under the Sea

There are 92 known cases of nuclear bombs lost at sea. I know that’s a bit much to digest but consider the key word here being “known” and it gets worse. Consider how many unknown nuclear bombs could be lost at sea. And what would happen if any of them somehow went off….

I did some research. Nuclear weapons have been used twice in warfare, both by the United States, at the end of WWII against Japan. On 6 August 1945, a uranium gun-type fission bomb code-named “Little Boy" was detonated over the city of Hiroshima. Three days later, on 9 August, a plutonium implosion-type fission bomb code-named "Fat Man” was exploded over Nagasaki, Japan. These two bombings resulted in the deaths of approximately 200,000 people – mostly civilians – from acute injuries sustained from the explosions. Since then, nuclear bombs have been detonated on over 2,000 occasions, for testing or demonstrations.

The Federation of American Scientists estimates there are more than 17,000 nuclear warheads in the world as of 2012, with around 4,300 of them being considered “operational” (ready for use). That of course doesn’t include the 92 known cases lost at sea. Just another “fun” fact for Friday!

“Unwell” (2003) Matchbox 20

All day staring at the ceiling
Making friends with shadows on my wall
All night hearing voices telling me
That I should get some sleep
Because tomorrow might be good for something
Hold on
Feeling like I'm headed for a breakdown
And I don't know why

But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know right now you can't tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired
I know right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me
And how I used to be...me

I'm talking to myself in public
Dodging glances on the train
And I know
I know they've all been talking about me
I can hear them whisper
And it makes me think there must be something wrong with me
Out of all the hours thinking
Somehow I've lost my mind

But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know right now you can't tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired
I know right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me
And how I used to be

I've been talking in my sleep
Pretty soon they'll come to get me
Yeah
They're taking me away

But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know right now you can't tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired
I know right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me
And how I used to be
Yeah, how I used to be
How I used to be
Well, I'm just a little unwell
How I used to be
How I used to be
I'm just a little unwell

Matchbox 20 is a great band, and they have several songs that I enjoy listening to and singing along with; their lyrics are creative and funny and profound – one of my favorite combinations. And the music makes you want to move (always a plus). Unwell is one of favorites.

There are probably thousands of jokes and memes out there making fun of mental illness; this song isn’t one of them. At least not the way I see it. The word “crazy” has such a negative connotation in our society, and for good reason, but having a mental illness isn’t the same thing as being “crazy.”

I really like the line “I’m not crazy, I’m just a little unwell.” When someone asks you how you’re doing, you are supposed to answer “I’m well” not “I’m good” or “I’m fine.” And for this guy, he’d say “I’m a little unwell.” Just not quite feeling right. Have some stuff going on that maybe I need to get some help with. After all, it’s called mental illness for a reason; it’s not contagious, but it’s also not something that’s self-inflicted. It’s not that person’s fault and a lot of times, they really can’t control how it affects their life. So back off, be nice, stop making jokes and being a jerk and take a minute to listen. Maybe what they need to be well is a friend [smile]

“Tangled Up In You” (2008) Staind

You're my world
The shelter from the rain
You're the pills
That take away my pain
You're the light
That helps me find my way
You're the words
When I have nothing to say

And in this world
Where nothing else is true
Here I am
Still tangled up in you
I'm still tangled up in you
Still tangled up in you

You're the fire
That warms me when I'm cold
You're the hand
I have to hold as I grow old
You're the shore
When I am lost at sea
You're the only thing
That I like about me

And in this world
Where nothing else is true
Here I am
Still tangled up in you
I'm still tangled up in you
Still tangled up in you

How long has it been
Since this storyline began
And I hope it never ends
And goes like this forever

In this world
Where nothing else is true
Here I am
Still tangled up in you
Tangled up in you
I'm still tangled up in you….still tangled up in you….

I love this song. It’s the only one by this band that I’m familiar with, but it’s been a favorite since the first time I heard it over two years ago.

It was originally played for me by a close friend who had just spent the weekend trying to find songs that should be “their song” (he and his girlfriend). This wasn’t one of the two they decided on, but when she sent it to him and he listened to it, he fell instantly in love with it, even taught himself to play it on his guitar.

It’s definitely a great song for expressing love in a committed relationship; but if you’ve been following this blog for any length of time, you know that’s not enough for me, especially for songs I want to share as part of my “Songs of September” series (almost done going thru the alphabet, only almost a year later!)

When I was looking for a video to share with you, I couldn’t find one of the actual band, but I think that may be better in this case. There are so many ways to interpret what he’s saying, so many relationships and life experiences that come to mind, I’d rather be left to my own thoughts than watch two actors try to play out the message for me. Which brings me to the deeper meaning that really makes this song resonate with me, and the reason I had to include it in this series.

A few months after my friend shared it with me, it came on my iPod while we were driving from Spokane, and we started talking about what it says; turns out he had the same thought I did the first time hearing it:  this transcends any guy/girl, human relationship – this speaks to our hearts about God’s love for us as well. He is so committed to loving us that He has not only become tangled up in our every moment, He died so we could be with Him forever!

With that in mind, read over the lyrics again, listen to the video one more time; close your eyes and let yourself wander into God’s presence. These words, these feelings he sings about, when you really hear them you see that they are intense and passionate. Is that where you are with God?

Just a thought. As I said, it’s also a great song to have as “your” song, and I hope one day soon I will have someone to be tangled up in, too.

Digging the Rabbit Hole

Today for my “Thrifty Thursday” altered book project, I decided to take a trip down the rabbit hole – but first I had to create one!

This is a common technique used in altered books and art journals, a variation of the “frame”, in which you glue several pages together and then cut out the center. In this version, I cut a series of circles, each one a little larger than the last, leading up to a photo on one of the pages in my altered book:

As you can see, the image gets larger each time you turn the page, until finally you see the entire picture:

The next step will be to decorate each page. I haven’t decided if I want to use a theme – perhaps something relating to the actual image – or just have four different layouts. Probably the former. I may also add some additional elements to the insides of the circles (someone else with the girl maybe?) just for a bit of depth and whimsy. This is a really fun technique that can be expanded upon in countless ways, and can use as many pages as you wish.

A fun sort of bonus:  you’re left with circles cut out of book text, great for adding to art journal pages, mixed media canvases, or even elsewhere in your altered book. For my circles, I started with 3.5”, then went up to 4.5”, 5”, and 5.5”. You can alter these measurements depending on the size of your final image and the number of pages you wish to create. In order to cut the circles I used a Creative Memories circle cutting system (awesome thrift store find!):

This system came with three blade sizes, three circles, and a template to help you determine which blade to use with which circle. It also came with that brilliant cutting mat you see under the page (it fits right into the book!). You could also use a Martha Stewart circle cutter, an old fashioned compass, or even just trace around circles of the right size. If you had to, I’m sure you could find templates online to print and cut out, then trace around.

This can also be done in different shapes – ovals, squares, rectangles, or hexagons would be fun. Play around, have fun, and take a trip down the rabbit hole! You never know what you might find! As for this one, I’ll be posting photos when I get some of the pages finished. Happy crafting!