Awesome Stories 332

/ August 12, 2017

This week Awesome Stories brings you storm chasing, accepting death, solar powered cars, and music for the brain.

Pursuit

I routinely share photos and videos by Mike Oblinski. I find his photography both beautiful and fascinating. I seem to be catching his passion for storm chasing, though I have neither the equipment or desire to do it in person.  🙂 This is Mike’s latest video project called Pursuit that covered 28,000 miles in 10 states over 27 days. Kudos Mike!

Accepting Death

Robert Wringham makes the bold claim that accumulating stuff is a denial of death and by corollary, minimalism is a way of accepting death. Mostly I agree with his premise that leaving piles of stuff for our heirs to deal with is rather selfish and misguided if we think they will treasure our stuff. Yes, maybe a few items will be kept and treasured, but for the most part, the possessions we inherit will be casually dumped as soon as possible. I know I’m not looking forward to dealing with my mother’s stuff. She has a large house filled with a lifetime of accumulation, very little of which I have any interest in keeping. I wish we could sort through the items together while she is alive. It might free up energy and resources for her to live more fully in the present. Read this article on death and stuff for an interesting view on minimalism as strongly tied to the acceptance of death. 

Solar Powered Carssolar car, Awesome Stories

Sono Motors, a German startup, has plans to create the Sion solar-powered car that can drive 18 miles on solar power alone and 120 miles on a full charge to the batteries. The SION is designed for 5 passengers with unique features like the Sono App to manage the power storage, affordable repairs, air filtering, and ride sharing like Uber. So far they have pre-orders for 2000 cars but hope to have 5000 to begin production with deliveries starting in early 2018 for about $18,600 without the battery. I’m hopeful they can produce these cars for such an affordable price.

Music for the Brain

I love listening to music but am very particular about the kind of music. I’ve known for many years that music impacts my energy and emotions. This article talks about the latest research on music and the brain. Music can light up certain circuits in the brain that boost our emotions and triggers chemicals like oxytocin and dopamine. Music has also been used to aid memory and connection to the world in people with memory impairments like Alzheimer’s. Research is also showing the elastic nature of the brain and its ability to grow new connections that aid learning and new skills. And finally, music can help us focus our attention or distract us depending on the type of music. The article suggests four ideas to experiment with music; play an instrument, sing, drum, and chant. Sometimes I put on music and let it wash over me like a gentle cleansing river. 🙂

May your week be full of music, acceptance, beauty, and innovation. 

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26 thoughts on “Awesome Stories 332”

  3. There is something electrifying beautiful about storms.. While I would not wish to get caught up in some of the monstrosities, They make your spine tingle.. This was set to some astounding music that so captivated the mood of the various clips of the storms.. Just memorising ..
    I was so taken with this video I went searching his name on YouTube and found loads more of his amazing films..

    Your second report from Robert Wringham.. Has nudged me into more decluttering lol

    I am sure that solar energy and cheaper energy has to come Brad. It is our highest outlay. And in the Autumn our Electricity bill has been put up by 12% so anything to bring down costs be it clean cars, and cheaper cleaner renewable energy we consume.. Has to be good news..

    I am all for Music for the brain and love nothing better to listen to classical or guitar music or drums while creating.. ( I Have that wonderful music echoing in my ears from the Pursuit.. ) Brilliant..

    Have a super weekend Brad.. I am listening to that music while I am typing as I watched it twice already xxx 🙂

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    • Thanks Sue. Decluttering is good. I seem to have a talent for organizing and simplifying. We are reaching energy parity for solar prices in many places and it will only get better. Yes, Mike has a wonderful collection of storm videos and photos. Thankfully, we have lots of great music to soothe, uplift, and bring joy! I hope your week is full of beautiful music. 🙂

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  5. The video up there is so powerful and incredible! THAT guy definitely has a gift. 🙂 As for dealing with “stuff” – oh man. Both J and I have parents who have accumulated so much stuff – and never gotten rid of ANYTHING. *sigh* There are companies that are starting to pop up to deal with this. Apparently Gen Xers will have a lot to deal with as Baby Boomers move on to their next Calling – I was just reading an article about that. The solar powered cars are only going to get better and better and I’m thrilled at how much progress has been made. I hear Volvo is going all electric by 2025. So cool. And music. Especially when I’m working, I need wordless music that has “concentration” brainwaves. Not all the time, but I have been aware of the music-energy connection for a long time. It’s so fascinating.

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    • Thanks Cynthia. Like you, I’m very aware of the impact music has on me and choose music that uplifts or soothes me depending on what I want. No doubt Mike has a gift and some serious commitment to chase storms around the country! I look forward to having lots of great electric and hybrid cars. to progress…

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  6. The stuff accumulation is complicated. After my mom died, dad could not bear to part with most of her stuff. Now that he’s gone it’s all up to me to wade through their material abundance including an attic full of military memorabilia and clothing. It will probably take years because I can get caught up in the sentimentality they handed down. Then there’s the history of them living through the Great Depression which taught them to not throw anything away.

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  8. I love the video of storms…I have always been a weather geek and seeing these storms rise and fall through time lapse photography is incredible!! I agree with a more minimalist approach as my wife and I are going through so much of the stuff we have accumulated over the years and getting rid of a lot of it…thought we did that 5 years ago when we sold our house of 18 years in San Diego and moved to Phoenix…but not enough as we are realizing…it is a very freeing experience!! Also love the article on music….

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