[Poem Share] Jeeper Creepers by the Caffinated Sophist

"What are they?"
"Are they blue?"
"They're green, right?"
"They have to be grey?"
"No, I got it! Hazel, no?"
"It seems like they change
from one color to the next,
like they're chameleons."

"They're defiantly blue."
"Are they green?"
"No they're yellow, hmm?"

"I love looking at them"
Why don't we sit over here
and talk about your eyes.

[Poem Share] My Love of Nyx by the Caffinated Sophist

Nyx fancies me,
and I fancy her.
Her bright white side-ways smile
always brings me joy.

Her cooler dark hair
surrounds me fully,
while my weary eyes leisurely
finds comfort within the darkness of her.

The world looks fuller, richer, and filled
with more mysteries
than with her daughter, Hemera.
Her soft cool and cleaner breath
takes me farther in thoughts
and heals my soul.

I feel like ME!
Not just me, MORE of me!
Free, alive, full, and closer to God!
I feel the world,
I feel the tingling energies surrounding.

And it is this,
this is why I fancy Nyx!
And why she fancies me!
For we understand
peace, peace within.

[Poem Share] Heart Memory by the CaffinatedSophist

Innocent despair,

frozen and wrapped,

heaven is blind to my

passional inferno.

Are you proud

of stealing?
Laying naked

broken filled with

a hole the size of

a pomegranate.

Hellbound you burglar,

I forget, why?

I have no memory.

Migraines

For those that do not know, a migraine is a compendium of all things stinging, throbbing, stabbing, pounding, squeezing, exploding, poking, prodding, pulsating, agonizing, terrorizing, nauseating, annoying, lingering, photophobic, phonophobic, and simply but not so simply an excruciating experience. Medically, a migraine is a headache, but instead of too much blood in the brain (which causes a typical headache), a migraine is where blood vessels constricts/dilates restricting blood to parts of the brain, causing a great deal of pain, which is an understatement at times. So in a way, migraine suffers experience mini-strokes, since migraines, when occurring, allocate blood from where it is needed. Nerves in the brain need blood for it's oxygen and minerals for many things, without it the nerve vessel can't do their job and become aggravated due to starvation of oxygen.

How can you tell it is a migraine? Well there is a big difference between a typical headache and a migraine; but many people, including me, usually (not always) sees what's called 'auras' before a migraine will occur. These auras vary in description, some may be just blurry shapes (usually in a circular shape, non-geometric), others can be colorful (and some times mulit-color that changes colors) tiny dots, others are painful blurs that blind one eye or the other (very rare to have this kind of aura to be in both eyes). Auras do tend to be in one eye or the other, but it is not too rare to have auras in both eyes.

The pain of migraines are intense. The pain does really feel like either, your head is imploding, exploding, someone is stabbing your head with an ice-pick, a person is banging your head (inside) trying to get out, someone or something is tearing and ripping your brain out, crushing or squeezing your head in, or all of the above. Now the placement of these lovely sensations are varied due to where the brain is being aggravated. Each person is different on what aggravates his/her migraines, generally it's stress ("stress" is an internal source since you can handle your stress level with meditation and self-control) or stress caused by an external source (i.e weather, food, pollution, sound, light, etc.,). How the brain is being aggravated is still unknown, but it is known that when the brain is being aggravated, the blood vessels dilate and cause tension on nerves (causing pain).  Where the aggravation is, the pain occurs, but, here is the fun part, depending on the actual location of the pain, a suffer's eye sight will be lost, but which eye? If my left side is hurting, my right eye can me loosing its sight; now this not always true to all cases due to that sometimes the effects of the migraine are affecting one eye or the other, so you could be feeling pain on one side and being blinded on the same side. This is also true with other senses, motor ability, and any and all functions of the brain, if the migraine is affecting a part of the brain, it would be no wonder that the person having a migraine would have trouble speaking, navigating down a hall way (loss of balance and coordination), seeing smells, tasting colors, etc., all of these are due to the fact the brain has one part of itself without oxygen to function correctly.

Migraines come in all shapes and sizes, from the tiniest (no more than a nuisance) to needing to go to the hospital for heavy narcotics; lasting from no more than 30 minutes to 7 (or more) days. The pain can be in the back of your head, blinding your eye (where you want to pull your eye out to relieve the pain), move from one side to the next, or in between your eyes (sinus migraines are annoyingly painful); the pain could also pulsate as fast as a jackhammer, or slow, hitting you once, randomly, then won't hit again till another random time (those are the worst, make me sick every time, because once it hits the pain is so intense making me want to vomit). They can just be a small annoying pain that won't go away, making you weak over time, which makes the pain feel worse.

I suffer with migraines. I endure these tediously vexatious incidents 2-3 times within a month or two. I used to receive these painful gifts 3-5 times a month (I'll explain how I reduced them further down). My migraines are stimulated by weather fronts (e.g. storm fronts - with clouds and rain, or hot/cold air moving through that could create clouds with rain - i.e. barometric pressure), stress, and too much consumption of the overly-used MSG (monosodium glutamate).

I first got my migraines when I was younger than a teen (not sure on the exact age); it seemed that my asthma and migraines acted as dogs and cats. One would be aggravated by something, which would aggravated the other; say my migraines would be aggravated by the barometric pressure, which in turns stir up my asthma, or my asthma was disturbed by an allergy, which pesters my migraine. I had a very sickly childhood before getting migraines, so my migraines was just icing on the cake of my life. But I digress; I moved to a dryer climate, alleviating and almost growing out of my asthma, but this same area has very frequent storm traffic. If Oklahoma isn't getting rain, it's getting constant fronts moving in and out on an almost constant basis.

I have experienced many different types of migraines, most of which I have described, but one still baffles me, but my wife loves. Now usually, after a migraine lifts (when the effects of the migraine leaves the brain), a person will feel like a new person, or a new flow of energy coursing through, which the person will probably want to do everything and anything. But with this type of migraine, I have some never-ending urge to keep moving, and clean (shhh you did not hear that from me...); I can't help myself, I just need to be actively moving, my head is hurting like hell, but I have to keep moving and doing something, which ends up cleaning.

Now how have I reduced the amount of my migraine occurrences? I try not depend on pain medicine, some times dependence of these pain meds typically make things worse (but not using pain meds is not smart either). I meditate (learned from books and Buddhists). I make sure I place my self in dark quite rooms, and not just when I am having a migraine, less stimulation to the brain (other than thinking and work of course) the better; constantly trying to keep my head clear of junk and lights and sounds really help. Drinking tea instead of coffee; eating properly (no junk food; eating more vegetables; a good intake on vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and omgea-3's). I am also taking an herbal supplement that I wife's mother sells; it's a Chinese herbal supplement. Now I'm not advertising, nor trying to con my way to have you (my readers) to buy anything. Just telling you what I am taking that helps. This herbal supplement is from a Chinese mushroom that detoxifies the body and has to be taken on a regular basis, I take 2-3 pills a day, everyday. If you like to more, e-mail me. But other wise this is my experience as a migraine sufferer.

[Coffee Shot] Preferences

This is for those that are not quite known of the art of crafting your own coffee. And what I mean is to have quality coffee in your own home. Coffee: whole beans, grounds, filters, makers, grinders, espressos, mugs, etc., is on the rise due to the economy. More and more people are buying products to make their own coffee at home, and finding the love of making it on their own. So, I thought I would make a reference guide to help people make a better quality coffee at home.
Before I get into preferences, with any and all preferences, you MUST always use either distilled water or at the very least use filtered water. Why? Well when you boil water, tap or other wise (non-distilled), the water leaves mineral deposits on your makers, and what is not left on your makers, those minerals will also be in your coffee, creating a different flavor, usually an awful taste. With filtered water, you may still have mineral deposits (depending on your filter) but not as much as straight tap.
I will address 5 methods of crafting coffee, each has their own level of ease and difficulty.

1. French Press: Personally I think this method is the easiest of all methods; it's also relaxing to have with family and friends to sit around talking pouring coffee out of the press. All you have to do is, well first get a press, add ground coffee, boil water, pour water into press, , wait, press 3-4 times, and pour. Well that is the short version; you actually need not-so-fine ground coffee. If you put in say espresso fine coffee, the small grounds will get stuck into the small grid holes causing not only a later big mess to clean up, but a problem of pressing the pump down. The boiling water, pretty simple, just make sure to use distilled or filtered water. Waiting for the boiling water to brew the coffee, read the instructions of the individual press, but usually its just a couple of minutes.  Pressing, well I usually press one for every minute of waiting (4 minutes of waiting = 4 presses); be careful when pressing, sometimes its tough pressing down, go slowly, do not force it.
2. Drip machines: Personally I hate these things, but they are the most used contraptions for making that morning cup of Joe, especially at the office/work. At work, there is usually not a choice on how to make the coffee, just brew and cover it up with as much junk as possible to get rid of the awful taste. But at home.... You have NO excuse. Still make sure you use distilled or filtered water; this is where if don't you'll ruin your maker and coffee. Coffee can either be not-so fine to really fine, it doesn't matter, the filter catches it. The filter, try and make sure it is not bleached, there are some natural filters, fairly cheap too; this is important too, since if you use the bleached filters, you might as well have poured bleach in your cup of coffee (it's not that bad, but still, there are still trace amounts being put into your coffee). The reason I hate these things, is that there is no air being put into the coffee. Air is very important with both food and drink, the actual term is aeration, allowing the food or drink to become more flavorful; its why espressos and cappuccinos taste so good, not only the process of making it includes aeration, but the steaming, the frothing also aerates the coffee and milk/cream as well. Now this method is also pretty easy, all you have to do, add water, add filter, add coffee (the amount is the preference of the drinker's need for strong or weak coffee) then press the button (or press a timer to go off at a certain time).
3. Espresso! My favorite, more challenging too. Again, make sure you use distilled or filtered water; this is where if you don't you'll ruin your maker and coffee. An espresso machine usually comes with a metal filter (which is better than buying a bunch of disposable filters, costing money and a drain on the environment), a glass measuring cup with a handle, with some machines a measuring spoon with or without a press (basically a flat ended 'thing' sometimes at the end of the scoop or by it self) that 'presses' or packs the coffee into the metal filter (kind of like old muskets and black powder), and usually (not always) a spout for the steam to froth your milk and/or coffee. Each machine varies especially on the functions, so make sure you read the instructions. Essentially, you take really fine ground coffee (finer the better) in the metal filter, pack the coffee grounds down (it does help), the amount is not much, but depending on the 'cup' marked increments in the metal filter, will determine the strength of the coffee. The type of coffee can also be varied just as the previous two; however, the bolder coffee is usually preferred in this method of coffee making, though I have tried Kona (a lighter blend of coffee) through the espresso, just magnificent.
4. Percolators: Not my favorite, but these old contraptions do make a good cup of coffee. This method is like a combination of the press, espresso, and drip. You place the coffee grounds in the filter chamber, pour water in (before placing the coffee, usually), let the water boil and brew the coffee. I won't go into details how this is done, if you get one, there will be instructions, but essentially, when the percolator is done, depending on the percolator, will give a sound and you pour your cup of coffee. I won't say it again about the need for the need of distilled or filter water.
5. Pods: Aptly named due to the pods, the individual plastic covered cups that are placed in a filter-like chamber, where hot water pours through then into a single cup/mug. These do, I have to admit it, make a good cup of coffee or tea. However, I think their cheap (not the pricing, because they can get expensive). They take away the pleasure of handling the coffee, the smell of an open bag of coffee beans/grounds, the effort putting in making the coffee. Also they can become quite expensive, you have to buy the pods for your coffee (making you totally dependent on these pods). Now there are some Pod machines that have adaptations to put in coffee grounds to make your own coffee; but what I have heard (only tried it several different times, never really 'used' these things) that they don't turn out right like that of espresso, drip, etc., But these would be the fastest, easiest, and personally the laziest way of making coffee.

I hoped this helps, either directing you to making a perfect cup of coffee or leading you to your preference of making coffee.

[Poem Share] Teasing Flower by CaffinatedSophist

Why do you tease lust from limbs?
Your clothing is more handsome
You dance while the wind hymns
You dare place my heart for ransom

With Springy Feathers and Cotton
Yourself garnish, when heart is wood
I give you incense, deeds forgotten
My efforts and love misunderstood

I shake and shiver when you bloom
Yet, not for me, for everyone to see
I hear cheers for the pink costume
Vain flower my merriment is in thee

Confused my heart is, love, hate
Skin like silk, voice like the banshee
Why do I care for such an ugly trait
For lunacy states, your love is in me

[Had really a hard time with the format with this one, both from transferring from MicroWord, and with blogger's formatting; the stanzas are suppose to be centered but justified] 

[Poem Share] The Mood of the Darken Glass by CaffinatedSophist

“Why do you jeeringly gawp with sapphires of obsidian?”
             “I needlessly stare because you are gratuitously gazing.”
“You are a melancholy, demeaning, doubting Gideon!”
             “I am bleak for the same reason your insight is burdensome.”
“I detest your haranguing when Nyx is at her meridian!”
             “I say naught, while I boorishly stare in insolent reply”
“Yes, and you depart every time around Antemeridian!”
             “And reappear for your amusement and necessitation.”
“Why do you confuse me by speaking in your Akkadian?”
            “For the same reason you converse to personification.”
“I speak at nothing while you talk of Minimifidian?”
           “I am incapable of having faith, yet you doubt your own.”
“Why do you bring terrible memories? You damn Mnemonician!”
          “For I am the only one that’s renewed when day recycles.”
“Nothing replenishes, yet you converse like an Ovidian.”
          “While nothing is new under it, when the sun’s convalescing.”
“So why do you judge when I’m walking a Paramedian?”
          “It’s only self-criticism when…”
“Just like you to leave when our argument reaches circadian.”

[Story Share] Stop Motion by CaffinatedSophist

[I did this story for a contest, don't remember which one, but it required the ending "Nothing was ever the same after that". I also don't remember why I titled it so; but thought I will share it. Oh, I also don't typically do stories like this, won't tell until the end.]

 “Some people swore that the house was hunted,” said the older gentleman in a gray sports jacket, navy slacks, and white buttoned collar shirt.

“Is that something a realtor should say?” asked Kenneth Bond. Kenneth, or Ken, was in his early thirties whom just received a better position at Oklahoma State University in the Philosophy department; better compared to his three-year old position at Ohio State University. Ken and his wife, Felicia, came down to the university town in Stillwater, Oklahoma, to look at different houses. Jack Hesser, a “small time home realtor,” as he calls himself, was showing the Bond’s several different places, one of which, being also the first one was the old Malory place.

“Y’all don’t believe in ghost stories now do ya? She’s a beaut, ol’ German style, stones, ‘stead of bricks, two story, and a basement, which’s an oddity round here. And look at this yeard, since she’s located on the corner, set back’a ways mind you, givin’ a humongous green tree infested pasture.”

“Tree infested?” asked Felicia, “Are the trees infested?”

“No, deary, the yeard’s infested with trees, get it?” laughed in reply the peculiar man.

The couple looked at each other bewildered; Ken broke the tension by mouthing “Yeard?” Felicia tried to hold her giggle in while lightly slapping her husband’s shoulder.

With a barely straight face, Ken asked “Why has this beauty not been selling and why’s price as low as it is? Are there any issues that we need to know about?”

“Now who’s been tellin’ y’all these stories?” asked the realtor.

“Google. Might need to check that out” replied Ken. Felicia now really was trying to hold her laughing.

“Well it’s t’ue that she ain’t been sellin’ but only because the folk round here do believe in ghost stories. But ol’ Jack knows yo people’re nice smart. I can see that clear. What parts y’all from anyways? Meant to ask earlier.”

“Columb…” “California,” interrupted Felicia, with her husband a bit perplexed at her interjecture but went along with it.

“Hmmm, Califoniya folk, that’s fine, real fine. So, y’all want to look in?”

“Yes, but real quick, why is the yard not kept up?” asked Ken emphasizing “yard.”

“Oh that’s just a dispute we havin’ with the grounds-folk, they want extra just cause this past month rained and hailed and they sayin’…”

“Sorry” interrupted Felicia, “Could you show us the inside. We’re looking at other houses, right? And we’re only here ‘till tomorrow morning and we have other business to do.”

Jack was stunned for a second due to the bluntness that he was not use to, but then said, “Sure deary! I’ll just go get the keys in my car.”

“What do you think?” Felicia asking her husband.

Not surprising to Felicia Ken responded “I actually like it. It is beautiful, large, both the house and the yard, close to campus…”

“But its expensive and…”

“It’s a descent price considering, and as for the peculiarness of that ol’ man and this place, well, it’s simple folk lore, that’s all we’re dealing with.”

“Got ‘em!” shouted Jack, as he speed-walking towards the couple. “Here we go.” And off he went passing the Bond’s towards the front door. Jack unlocked the door, with Ken and Felicia following, and opened the door. The Bond’s were gestured in by Jack’s hand; they stepped inside and witnessed an eerie translucent old woman dusting the hallway desk. As the couple turned sharply out the door they noticed Jack was also translucent saying “Don’t y’all want to see the house?”

Nothing was ever the same after that.
[This was my first scary story, not sure why I did a scary story for a contest, but it just came out, maybe the ending made me think of a a scary story. Tell me what you think of it, please.]