oh faithful followers, i get the inkling this might be the last hipster time list for a long while, what with so much activity coming up, and things being due.
isn't that just so sad? any way, i suppose i could get on with it, and tell you what this episode's list is comprised of.
in a mere few weeks, i will be attending no brand con, an anime convention held here in the lovely city of eau claire. in light of that, i've decided to give you a list of my top five favorite animes (either movies or series).
huzzah nerdiness!
5. gankutsuou: the count of monte cristo
i nearly had a heart attack when i found out that a studio was making one of my favorite novels into an anime. i was even more excited when i found out that it would be told from the perspective of albert de morcerf, a relatively minor character in the actual novel. this new spin is excellent, and while the graphics might give you a headache, it's still really nifty, and worth watching a few episodes.
4. loveless
i have a really hard time trying to explain what loveless is about. really, all i'm apt to say is it's about love, and perhaps memories and trust, but what i do know is that it can be veiwed as controversial since it concerns a little shounen-ai. but overall, it's a beautiful series with a deep story. the one downfall is how short it is. it could definitely go longer than 12 episodes.
3. lucky star
this is a series about nothing. really, each scenario that plays out in this anime is literally about nothing. the conversations range from how one eats chocolate cornets and other foods to reasons to visit someone when they're sick. it's funny, and adorable, and i guarantee you'll want to learn the dance to the opening song.
2. fruits basket
cutest. series. ever.
i mean really, when people start turning into animals of the zodiac when a member of the opposite sex hugs them, paired with the ever-lovable tohru, it's a reciepe for awesomeness. the manga (book) series, however, goes on far longer than the anime, leaving much to be desired from the story.
1 azumanga daioh
this is, by far, the series i could watch endlessly and never get bored with. the characters are all likeable and memorable, and the stories followed in the series are priceless. the last episode made me bawl like a baby, while the rest of it made me laugh my ass off. really, if you want to watch one anime, make it this one. it offers insight into japanese culture, humor, and cuteness all in one.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
hipster time; episode two
that's right, i'm back again. this time with another "top __ list" to amuse and/or inform you.
when i was younger, to punish me, my parents would take all of my books away from me, prohibiting me from reading. that's right, i'm one of those kids. i love to read. however, i haven't had a lot of time to read as of late, mostly due to college being a pain in the rear and sucking up all of my valuable eyes to paper time.
but lucky for you, i've read plenty before, so i'm honored to bring you
my 'four books you need to read before you die' list.
enjoy.
4. the girl who loved tom gordon [stephen king, 1999]
i'm not a huge fan of scary things. movies, pictures, thoughts, etc., i'd rather just not deal with it. however, a friend of mine from high school suggested that i read this one, and i'm glad he did. it's not as scary as other things, but still chilling enough for me to want to read with the lights on.
3. the catcher in the rye [j.d. salinger, 1951]
this book is one of the better required readings i've had to live through during my high school career. either it's salinger's writing style or holden caulfield's unbridled angst that makes it oddly irresistable. at any rate, it's worth reading at least once, especially when you feel like everyone around you is a phony. (haha)
2. the count of monte cristo [alexandre dumas (pere), 1844]
i'll admit right now that i think classical literature is overrated. however, the count of monte cristo is the one exception to that belief of mine. i'm fully convinced that this book, if anything, is highly underrated. complete with components of revenge, love, mystery, high society, and adventure, it really is a book that everyone can like, in some aspect. also, for the love of all that is good and holy DO NOT watch the movie and assume you know what the book is all about. the movie was awful.
1. invisible monsters [chuck palahniuk, 1999]
i'm a huge fan of mr. palaniuk's work, and i could honestly say that any one of his works is well worth reading, however, i'm particularily fond of this novel because it was the first palahniuk novel i had ever read, and it also inspired me to pursue my desire to become a writer. to describe this book is to give it all away, so all i can tell you is read it. i promise you won't be disappointed.
when i was younger, to punish me, my parents would take all of my books away from me, prohibiting me from reading. that's right, i'm one of those kids. i love to read. however, i haven't had a lot of time to read as of late, mostly due to college being a pain in the rear and sucking up all of my valuable eyes to paper time.
but lucky for you, i've read plenty before, so i'm honored to bring you
my 'four books you need to read before you die' list.
enjoy.
4. the girl who loved tom gordon [stephen king, 1999]
i'm not a huge fan of scary things. movies, pictures, thoughts, etc., i'd rather just not deal with it. however, a friend of mine from high school suggested that i read this one, and i'm glad he did. it's not as scary as other things, but still chilling enough for me to want to read with the lights on.
3. the catcher in the rye [j.d. salinger, 1951]
this book is one of the better required readings i've had to live through during my high school career. either it's salinger's writing style or holden caulfield's unbridled angst that makes it oddly irresistable. at any rate, it's worth reading at least once, especially when you feel like everyone around you is a phony. (haha)
2. the count of monte cristo [alexandre dumas (pere), 1844]
i'll admit right now that i think classical literature is overrated. however, the count of monte cristo is the one exception to that belief of mine. i'm fully convinced that this book, if anything, is highly underrated. complete with components of revenge, love, mystery, high society, and adventure, it really is a book that everyone can like, in some aspect. also, for the love of all that is good and holy DO NOT watch the movie and assume you know what the book is all about. the movie was awful.
1. invisible monsters [chuck palahniuk, 1999]
i'm a huge fan of mr. palaniuk's work, and i could honestly say that any one of his works is well worth reading, however, i'm particularily fond of this novel because it was the first palahniuk novel i had ever read, and it also inspired me to pursue my desire to become a writer. to describe this book is to give it all away, so all i can tell you is read it. i promise you won't be disappointed.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
soundtrack
1. jesus christ [brand new]
2. and i told them i invented times new roman [dance gavin dance]
3. sing [dresden dolls]
4. homesick at space camp [fall out boy]
5. fully alive [flyleaf]
6. note to self [from first to last]
7. lullaby [the spill canvas]
8. lives [modest mouse]
9. we are one [the matches]
10. northern downpour [panic at the disco]*
1 - There's a story behind every one of these songs. Every song, in some way, relates to an event or period of time in my life. I'll be honest, and admit that not all of the events and emotions attached to these songs are happy. In fact, there are at least two songs that remind me of very difficult times in my life, but those events, no matter how difficult, helped make me who i am today.
2 - I believe this mix makes me out to look like someone who doesn't listen to a ton of mainstream music, someone who most would probably label 'alternative'. I've been accused (haha) of being a part of the 'emo' and 'scene' subcultures, and my musical choices tend to support those accusations, even though I'm not too fond of being dumped into any stereotype.
3 - From this mix, I think people could only really learn what my tastes in music are. There isn't much you can learn by looking at ten songs that have no apparent meaning to any other person except myself. What they aren't going to learn about me is my personality, my likes and dislikes, basically everything about me, minus muscial tastes, of course.
4 - I think that my mix is broad enough that it shows that my tastes aren't confined to one style, and also that the varying topics of the songs show that I don't have a one-track mind, that there are, in fact, other things going through my head other than x or y emotion.
5 - I was fairly accurate when it came to my predictions. I, evidentially, was a year or two off, but I was on the right track. You can guess a lot about people from things like this, but not know. I had guessed that they didn't spend a lot of time finding new music to listen to, and that they were super involved or just really busy. However, I was wrong about how they were involved, saying that they might be in sports or clubs, while she was actually just busy with schoolwork and life in general.
*enjoy.
2. and i told them i invented times new roman [dance gavin dance]
3. sing [dresden dolls]
4. homesick at space camp [fall out boy]
5. fully alive [flyleaf]
6. note to self [from first to last]
7. lullaby [the spill canvas]
8. lives [modest mouse]
9. we are one [the matches]
10. northern downpour [panic at the disco]*
1 - There's a story behind every one of these songs. Every song, in some way, relates to an event or period of time in my life. I'll be honest, and admit that not all of the events and emotions attached to these songs are happy. In fact, there are at least two songs that remind me of very difficult times in my life, but those events, no matter how difficult, helped make me who i am today.
2 - I believe this mix makes me out to look like someone who doesn't listen to a ton of mainstream music, someone who most would probably label 'alternative'. I've been accused (haha) of being a part of the 'emo' and 'scene' subcultures, and my musical choices tend to support those accusations, even though I'm not too fond of being dumped into any stereotype.
3 - From this mix, I think people could only really learn what my tastes in music are. There isn't much you can learn by looking at ten songs that have no apparent meaning to any other person except myself. What they aren't going to learn about me is my personality, my likes and dislikes, basically everything about me, minus muscial tastes, of course.
4 - I think that my mix is broad enough that it shows that my tastes aren't confined to one style, and also that the varying topics of the songs show that I don't have a one-track mind, that there are, in fact, other things going through my head other than x or y emotion.
5 - I was fairly accurate when it came to my predictions. I, evidentially, was a year or two off, but I was on the right track. You can guess a lot about people from things like this, but not know. I had guessed that they didn't spend a lot of time finding new music to listen to, and that they were super involved or just really busy. However, I was wrong about how they were involved, saying that they might be in sports or clubs, while she was actually just busy with schoolwork and life in general.
*enjoy.
Friday, February 27, 2009
how to make the perfect mix cd or how to communicate your emotions via digital media
There comes a time in everyone’s life when words just aren’t enough. Well, spoken words, that is. When you can’t properly articulate your feelings for another person (or group of people, for that matter), it’s time to, as the band Fall Out Boy says, let the ‘headphones deliver them the words you can’t say’. Sometimes, the only way to let someone know you feel is through a properly created mix CD.
There are a few important things to remember when creating a mix CD. One is to remember who you are giving the end result to. You don’t want to include music or lyrics that your target finds offensive, especially if your message is one of friendship or love. Two is to know your limits. While you might have heard the perfect song for the perfect “I Hate You” mix CD, it’s not wise run out onto the internet and steal the song from a third party. If you have to have it, go to iTunes. Third, and finally, keep track of the length of your CD. A mix that takes someone an hour to listen to in totality is not ideal. In fact, they will probably listen to the first, middle, and last tracks and then ignore the rest of it for the remainder of eternity, and no one wants that, especially after putting so much work into it.
Now, onto that aforementioned work. Making a mix CD is rather simple, and is comprised of four steps. One is to choose the emotion or message that you wish to convey, two is to create a playlist of the music that will make up your masterpiece of emotional storytelling, three is to use whatever software you own to actually burn your play list onto a CD, and finally four is to create a fancy title for your mix CD. Of course, there is also the optional step five, which is actually giving the CD to the person(s) it was created for.
Choosing an emotion or message can be very difficult, especially if you have a very complex relationship with the other person. It’s usually helpful to sit and consider the strongest emotion you feel when you think about that person. Is it love? Hate? Bitter jealousy? Or maybe a phrase comes to mind, such as “we’ll be best friends forever, even if she’s a dirty leech” or “I would rather let monkeys claw my eyes out that have to sit next to you ever again”. The sky’s the limit when it comes to how you feel, and don’t doubt that there’ll be any songs to cover your sentiment. More than likely, there is, and you’re just not looking hard enough. Once you have an emotion squared away, it’s time to consider the playlist.
Building a good playlist can be a daunting task. You must constantly keep in mind the flow of the music, and there are many, many ways to mold the flow of a mix CD, and depending on the message you want to send, that can add another dozen ways. It’s also important to keep in mind that a rule of thumb is you can’t have the same artist appear on a CD twice, allowing for a broad horizon of styles that each has its own way of sending the desired message. However, the most reliable way to create a playlist is to listen to your heart (however corny that sounds) and choose and place songs in whatever order feels right to you. After all, this CD is conveying your emotions, and you know you best. Also, be sure to listen to your playlist, to make sure you feel comfortable with it. It might take a few tries, but eventually you will have your perfect playlist, ready to be made into the perfect mix CD.
This step should be the simplest, by far. Simply choose a blank CD, stick it in the CD tray of your computer, and hit the ’Burn CD’ button on your media player of choice. Then, wait however long it takes for your CD to burn and voila, you have a real, live mix CD in your hands.
Finally, we come to naming your mix CD. This step can be the hardest or easiest, depending on the message. For instance, if you’re trying to seduce your crush of x amount of years into going on a date with you, a title such as “I Like You, Let’s Date” just isn’t going to cut it. Be artsy. Combine some of the words for the titles to make an unnecessarily long title, or perhaps make simple yet profound equation out of the titles of three of your favorite tracks. This step, like the second step, is truly a very personal one. It is of the utmost importance that you do what feels right to you, and what you think will garner you the most success.
Earlier, an optional fifth step was mentioned. This step, giving the mix CD to your intended target, is usually a very effective step to follow, however, is not necessary in the fact that making a mix CD should help you fully understand the emotions you were feeling, and perhaps come to terms with the people in your life. It could perhaps be called closure, giving the mix CD to the intended, but as stated before, it’s not necessary. Do what you feel is right and best for you. After all, that is what all emotional outbursts should be like. They should be pure, and wholly you, and not what you think others want to hear.
There are a few important things to remember when creating a mix CD. One is to remember who you are giving the end result to. You don’t want to include music or lyrics that your target finds offensive, especially if your message is one of friendship or love. Two is to know your limits. While you might have heard the perfect song for the perfect “I Hate You” mix CD, it’s not wise run out onto the internet and steal the song from a third party. If you have to have it, go to iTunes. Third, and finally, keep track of the length of your CD. A mix that takes someone an hour to listen to in totality is not ideal. In fact, they will probably listen to the first, middle, and last tracks and then ignore the rest of it for the remainder of eternity, and no one wants that, especially after putting so much work into it.
Now, onto that aforementioned work. Making a mix CD is rather simple, and is comprised of four steps. One is to choose the emotion or message that you wish to convey, two is to create a playlist of the music that will make up your masterpiece of emotional storytelling, three is to use whatever software you own to actually burn your play list onto a CD, and finally four is to create a fancy title for your mix CD. Of course, there is also the optional step five, which is actually giving the CD to the person(s) it was created for.
Choosing an emotion or message can be very difficult, especially if you have a very complex relationship with the other person. It’s usually helpful to sit and consider the strongest emotion you feel when you think about that person. Is it love? Hate? Bitter jealousy? Or maybe a phrase comes to mind, such as “we’ll be best friends forever, even if she’s a dirty leech” or “I would rather let monkeys claw my eyes out that have to sit next to you ever again”. The sky’s the limit when it comes to how you feel, and don’t doubt that there’ll be any songs to cover your sentiment. More than likely, there is, and you’re just not looking hard enough. Once you have an emotion squared away, it’s time to consider the playlist.
Building a good playlist can be a daunting task. You must constantly keep in mind the flow of the music, and there are many, many ways to mold the flow of a mix CD, and depending on the message you want to send, that can add another dozen ways. It’s also important to keep in mind that a rule of thumb is you can’t have the same artist appear on a CD twice, allowing for a broad horizon of styles that each has its own way of sending the desired message. However, the most reliable way to create a playlist is to listen to your heart (however corny that sounds) and choose and place songs in whatever order feels right to you. After all, this CD is conveying your emotions, and you know you best. Also, be sure to listen to your playlist, to make sure you feel comfortable with it. It might take a few tries, but eventually you will have your perfect playlist, ready to be made into the perfect mix CD.
This step should be the simplest, by far. Simply choose a blank CD, stick it in the CD tray of your computer, and hit the ’Burn CD’ button on your media player of choice. Then, wait however long it takes for your CD to burn and voila, you have a real, live mix CD in your hands.
Finally, we come to naming your mix CD. This step can be the hardest or easiest, depending on the message. For instance, if you’re trying to seduce your crush of x amount of years into going on a date with you, a title such as “I Like You, Let’s Date” just isn’t going to cut it. Be artsy. Combine some of the words for the titles to make an unnecessarily long title, or perhaps make simple yet profound equation out of the titles of three of your favorite tracks. This step, like the second step, is truly a very personal one. It is of the utmost importance that you do what feels right to you, and what you think will garner you the most success.
Earlier, an optional fifth step was mentioned. This step, giving the mix CD to your intended target, is usually a very effective step to follow, however, is not necessary in the fact that making a mix CD should help you fully understand the emotions you were feeling, and perhaps come to terms with the people in your life. It could perhaps be called closure, giving the mix CD to the intended, but as stated before, it’s not necessary. Do what you feel is right and best for you. After all, that is what all emotional outbursts should be like. They should be pure, and wholly you, and not what you think others want to hear.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
UWEC, an ethnographic view
Upon asking five random students, it quickly became evident that there’s a strong percentage of students that prefers to study in their rooms back at the dorms. There are a few instances where the students said they liked being in the library if they’re doing intense studying. As for studying habits, those ranged all over the board from utilizing flashcards to re-reading the material, to doing every practice problem from the unit. Also, it was mentioned that studying the night before has been beneficial, since it’s fresh in their mind.
On the subject of studying, leading us to grades, there’s a new threat to cheaters. An “XF” is a new sort of grade you can receive on your transcripts. However, it’s not a grade you’d want to strive for, seeing as it represents failure of a course due to academic dishonesty. Having this appear on your transcripts, for the world to see, can but a bad mark on you later in life, when looking for employment, or if you have to transfer to a different college.
I pass the sculpture “Sprites” literally every day. However, I never really took the time to consider it beyond the jokes made about “naked ladies dancing”. Upon closer inspection, the sculpture is by Paul Granlund and was present to the campus in 1978. I believe, that while aesthetically pleasing, it can also represent how people on campus should support one another, and if we do so, we can achieve better things together, as the collective of “Blugolds”.I’m a Blugold, and upon saying that people who don’t attend UWEC immediately ask “What’s a Blugold?” I can’t ever give them the answer they’re looking for. A Blugold isn’t a thing, not a bird, not some monster used to muster up the fighting spirit on whichever sporting field you happen to be on, it’s more of a feeling. As summed up by a student speaker, a Blugold is “the spirit of the school from the classrooms to the campus to extracurricular activities”
Microfiche, or microfilm, is small-scale reproductions of printed materials, usually old newspapers or magazines. This allows for the preservation and easy storage of these materials. Microfilm readers magnify these little chips, allowing you to read, and print the material.However, it’s not hard to find a real, paper newspaper on campus. Not 
hard at all. Head to the library, second floor, and there’s an endless amount of newpapers, both current and old. I picked up the most recent copy of the New York Times, and briefly surveyed one of the headlines. The title “Hold the Eulogies” caught my eye frist, and upon further reading I discovered that it briefly covered Senator Kennedy’s recovery and how he believes it will be strong, and that he has many more years to get under his belt before he calls it quits.
hard at all. Head to the library, second floor, and there’s an endless amount of newpapers, both current and old. I picked up the most recent copy of the New York Times, and briefly surveyed one of the headlines. The title “Hold the Eulogies” caught my eye frist, and upon further reading I discovered that it briefly covered Senator Kennedy’s recovery and how he believes it will be strong, and that he has many more years to get under his belt before he calls it quits.Overall, I see UWEC as a campus that is comprised of responsible students who know how to achieve their own success, resources for those students to utilize fully, and also with a overall atmosphere that promotes the sense of all-around support and the desire for success.
Friday, February 20, 2009
hipster time; episode one.
so after getting the okay to make more posts than just the required, i decided it'd be super fun to sort of share my favorite stuff with everyone. also, i saw this as an opportunity for me to express my love for top [insert number here] lists.
so this week, i decided to go with:
top five albums/ep's from bands you've probably [maybe] never heard of.
doesn't that sound just peachy?
5. cexcells [blaqk audio]
chances are, you've heard of afi [of miss murder fame], but not of this side project of lead singer davey havok and guitarist jade puget. it's quite different from afi's work, and there's even a little cd out there of about four remixes of the song 'stiff kittens'. if you're into techno and songs with deeper meaning than your average layered beat ditty, this might be something worth looking into.
best song iko: stiff kittens [jnrsnchz blaqkout remix]
[[surprise! this song is on the soundtrack for the new underworld movie.]]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWIEQcqFZPk
4. greetings from... [a rocket to the moon]
nick santino is so gosh darn adorable. you just can't say no to his face, or his voice for that matter, and his ep greetings from... is just so gosh darn catchy, you can't deny that he should be putting out a full-length album faster than he already is trying to do. because you'll want it that much. maybe. he definitely slides nicely into the pop-rock/powerpop category, but like i said, nick is just so cute, he stands out nicely.
best song iko: dakota
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2KOysRb-yU
3. london bridges [this is ivy league]
i'll bet you've never heard of bossa nova. i was right, wasn't i? well, this is ivy league is a very nice way to get a little taste of it, since not all of their songs are really bossa nova-ish, but enough of them are for me to associate them with the style. this two man group, comprised of ryland blackington and alex suarez [my personal favorite, ahahaha] from cobra starship, produces some seriously mellow tunes, which are really good for things like studying, or maybe even putting you to sleep. it still surprises me how different this is ivy league is from cobra starship. you'll get what i mean in a second.
best song iko: london bridges
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFHn11JfSN0
2. hold on tight [hey monday]
i don't listen to the radio anymore, so there is a chance you might have heard of hey monday before. if that's the case, this is the only exception to the gist of my list. their songs are definitely radio-friendly, but it's hard to say if the radio is allowing good music to be played on their airwaves yet. i'll be totally honest here and tell you straight out that i do not like female singing voices, but cassadee pope's voice is cute, so i can tolerate it. trust me, there are only about two other female singers out there that i can stand, so she should count herself lucky. haha.
best song iko: homecoming
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUW6YjsRJ-Q
1. razia's shadow [forgive durden]
i could go on for days about how highly i think of this album. it's not just an album, it's a freaking musical. that's right, it's a musical. in fact, just a few days ago, thomas dutton, the man who is forgive durden, released the rights to the music and script for fans to perform his musical for free. however, just because i said musical don't get visions of 'joseph and the amazing technicolor dreamcoat' and 'oklahoma' in your head. this one is different, and the only way to understand that is to listen to it. i will mention that there are some guest stars such as brendon urie from panic at the disco, greta salpeter from the hush sound and shawn harris from the matches. the one music video that's out for the single 'life is looking up' hints at the fact that he's making his own production [perhaps a movie]. i can only hope. like i said, corner me and get me talking about this masterpiece, and you won't be able to shut me up. it's that amazing.
best song iko: life is looking up
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=46418448
so this week, i decided to go with:
top five albums/ep's from bands you've probably [maybe] never heard of.
doesn't that sound just peachy?
5. cexcells [blaqk audio]
chances are, you've heard of afi [of miss murder fame], but not of this side project of lead singer davey havok and guitarist jade puget. it's quite different from afi's work, and there's even a little cd out there of about four remixes of the song 'stiff kittens'. if you're into techno and songs with deeper meaning than your average layered beat ditty, this might be something worth looking into.
best song iko: stiff kittens [jnrsnchz blaqkout remix]
[[surprise! this song is on the soundtrack for the new underworld movie.]]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWIEQcqFZPk
4. greetings from... [a rocket to the moon]
nick santino is so gosh darn adorable. you just can't say no to his face, or his voice for that matter, and his ep greetings from... is just so gosh darn catchy, you can't deny that he should be putting out a full-length album faster than he already is trying to do. because you'll want it that much. maybe. he definitely slides nicely into the pop-rock/powerpop category, but like i said, nick is just so cute, he stands out nicely.
best song iko: dakota
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2KOysRb-yU
3. london bridges [this is ivy league]
i'll bet you've never heard of bossa nova. i was right, wasn't i? well, this is ivy league is a very nice way to get a little taste of it, since not all of their songs are really bossa nova-ish, but enough of them are for me to associate them with the style. this two man group, comprised of ryland blackington and alex suarez [my personal favorite, ahahaha] from cobra starship, produces some seriously mellow tunes, which are really good for things like studying, or maybe even putting you to sleep. it still surprises me how different this is ivy league is from cobra starship. you'll get what i mean in a second.
best song iko: london bridges
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFHn11JfSN0
2. hold on tight [hey monday]
i don't listen to the radio anymore, so there is a chance you might have heard of hey monday before. if that's the case, this is the only exception to the gist of my list. their songs are definitely radio-friendly, but it's hard to say if the radio is allowing good music to be played on their airwaves yet. i'll be totally honest here and tell you straight out that i do not like female singing voices, but cassadee pope's voice is cute, so i can tolerate it. trust me, there are only about two other female singers out there that i can stand, so she should count herself lucky. haha.
best song iko: homecoming
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUW6YjsRJ-Q
1. razia's shadow [forgive durden]
i could go on for days about how highly i think of this album. it's not just an album, it's a freaking musical. that's right, it's a musical. in fact, just a few days ago, thomas dutton, the man who is forgive durden, released the rights to the music and script for fans to perform his musical for free. however, just because i said musical don't get visions of 'joseph and the amazing technicolor dreamcoat' and 'oklahoma' in your head. this one is different, and the only way to understand that is to listen to it. i will mention that there are some guest stars such as brendon urie from panic at the disco, greta salpeter from the hush sound and shawn harris from the matches. the one music video that's out for the single 'life is looking up' hints at the fact that he's making his own production [perhaps a movie]. i can only hope. like i said, corner me and get me talking about this masterpiece, and you won't be able to shut me up. it's that amazing.
best song iko: life is looking up
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=46418448
mini essay three: illustrative
When asked if ‘clothes make the person’, I had to stop and think a moment. This question runs deeper at second glance, and it allowed me an opportunity to consider why we take fashion and trends into such great account. I believe that clothes do, to some extent, make the person. Take for example, a business person. They would never, ever be taken seriously or be able to achieve any sort of success in the business world of today if they did not dress as per the norm. If they came to meetings with clients and co-workers in jeans and a t-shirt, they become less than expected; a professional. In today’s society, who people are is defined by how they present themselves. This may be shallow, or unfair, but it is the truth of America today. If you see a person walking down the street wearing worn out, dirty clothes, you aren’t going to assume they’re a successful investor or anything of that nature. No, in fact, you’re going to assume they’re a homeless bum who needs to find a job and probably take a shower. Your outer appearance is the true first impression. I believe the best example of this can be seen in high schools. The trends of today- goth, preppy, jock, emo, skater, nerd, what have you - are all perpetuated by young teenagers. Those trends are usually what bring people together as friends. It’s not a very common occurance to see the typical pale, black full-length skirt clad, corset wearing girl talking to the jocks in their American Eagle and Hollister apparel. You don’t usually notice a group of baggy-clothes wearing hood gangster wannabe’s just hanging around with the chess club. It just doesn’t happen that way. Also, the styles people assume in high school seems to be the tell-all for their personality. If they’re one of those kids with the tight skinny jeans and swoopy haircut, they’re a tortured soul that needs to suck it up or face the ‘realities of the world’. If they’re one of the aforementioned jocks, they’re probably stupid, but remarkably good at whatever sport they’ve chosen to pursue. Once you assume a manner of dress, you assume that role that society gives you.
A classmate mentioned that if we were all naked, we’d still be people. I wish I could agree with that statement, but once really thought about, you, as well as I, realize that we’d find another way to distinguish and define ourselves through generalized assumptions, because it appears that at base level, all humans want is a niche to fit into, and are willing to be generalized if that means they’ll be able to identify with like-minded individuals.
A classmate mentioned that if we were all naked, we’d still be people. I wish I could agree with that statement, but once really thought about, you, as well as I, realize that we’d find another way to distinguish and define ourselves through generalized assumptions, because it appears that at base level, all humans want is a niche to fit into, and are willing to be generalized if that means they’ll be able to identify with like-minded individuals.
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