Lately, I can’t help but feel a bit older. You know when you’ve signed the lease for your first apartment that you’re not exactly a little kid anymore. You also know when you find that one gray hair that persists no matter how many times you decide to pluck it that the effects of aging have started to get to you. Similarly, when you realize that short hair looks much better than your long “rebellious” hair of your early teenage years may be a sign of maturity. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s the fact that your mother has bought a Yankees jersey for your beer to keep it cold.
Whatever it is, everyone seems to reach a point in their life where they know that aren’t exactly going to be heading back to the monkey bars or pretending to be an astronaut any time soon. It’s possible that this realization has made it so many of you want to hide under the covers of your bed, curl up, and watch marathons of your favorite cartoon . Trust me, I understand. However, this is a change that should be embraced rather than feared.
Gone are the days when I find myself asked to walk the dogs at night, only to stay out with them for a brief second because the answer to that old school Nickelodeon Show “Are you afraid of the dark” for me was a resounding yes. It’s possible that danger still lurks in the dark. I mean, just the other night I ran into a rabbit that looked like it may have been the deranged bunny of Monty Python fame.Fearsome bunny rabbits aside, now that I’m older and have survived countless encounters with the terrible dark, it’s a lot easier to tell myself I survived the last couple times so why wouldn’t I this time?
Most recently, I took a train home from Boston by myself. The fact that I managed to get on the right train must have been some form of miracle, judging by the countless number of times my mom felt the need to explain to me where I needed to be .To be fair, I had proven myself a terrible listener in the past and probably deserved the treatment she was giving me. As many people before me have come to realize just because you know your parents are probably right to repeatedly give you instructions, it doesn’t make it any easier to listen to.
On the train, a chatty middle-aged woman who clearly forgot to buy one of the great books they had on selection at Back Bay station started asking me what I was doing on my laptop. I replied by telling her I was writing, which seemed to fascinate her infinitely. She asked me if I was a well known writer, clearly missing the fact by my looks that I was more likely to be a student than a well known writer. I decided to amuse myself and told her, “It’s not surprising you wouldn’t know who I am. I mean I’m only a New York Times best selling author but no one really reads the about the author page do they?”.
She looked half skeptical but turned to the old couple sitting behind the two of us and asked, “This guy says he’s a best selling author. Do you recognize him?”. The couple took one look at me, mouthed what I could only imagine is are you serious, but then turned to her and said, “Oh yes of course. He’s rather famous”. Maybe getting old doesn’t have to be all bad, at the very least this couple proved that while I will get older I may still retain my sense of humor.
Until next time,
I’m just your friendly “best selling author” neighborhood Bloggerman
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Rut Roh!
Lately, all my friends seem to be in a rush to get older. The only questions we hear these days all revolve around the same basic concept,“What are you going to do with your life when you’re out of school?”. While many people seem to have an answer to this question, my general answer seems to be that I have no clue.
I don’t understand people’s rush to grow up. It’s like suddenly being twenty is the new forty. Which means by the time we all turn thirty we’ll be regretting not thinking of our retirement plan while we were still the best block builders the school yard had ever seen.
Everyone seems in a rush to find a perfect job, and it is a competitive market. We are bred to think that if we don’t get an internship right now, we will be doomed to work the fryer at Mcdonalds with our only aspirations being to become manager some day. Internships are all fine and dandy, but god forbid we enjoy being young while the capability of going to the bathroom without the help of an adult diaper still exists.
I recently signed the lease for my very first apartment, and while totally decking it out pimp my apartment style excites me....I can’t help but feel that I need to retain my childhood somehow. That’s why I immediately went out and bought the newest Pokemon game. Part of me thought I had been getting too old for them, but honestly you’re never too old to make cute and cuddly creatures take part in dog fights to the death. *No virtual animals were hurt in the making of this po....ok maybe a little*
It’s not only Pokemon, but I still like to read comic books when I get the chance. I also enjoy watching cartoons. I get a lot of crap from my friends about this who say these are things I’m supposed to outgrow, but I disagree. Being an “adult” isn’t about becoming so serious the only person that finds you exciting is the narrator for the history channel, it’s about knowing who you are and what you like.
Cartoons, Comics, Video Games may all be “childish endeavors”, but giving them up just because other people think you’re too old is even more childish. I guess what I’m trying to say to all my friends who seem to be in a rush to be more “adult” is live a little before the most exciting part of your day becomes putting your teeth in so you can eat some bran cereal. There are certainly parts of our future lives to look forward to, but for now why not kick back with a bowl of fruity pebbles and enjoy some Scooby Doo?
Until next time,
I’m just your friendly neighborhood Bloggerman
I don’t understand people’s rush to grow up. It’s like suddenly being twenty is the new forty. Which means by the time we all turn thirty we’ll be regretting not thinking of our retirement plan while we were still the best block builders the school yard had ever seen.
Everyone seems in a rush to find a perfect job, and it is a competitive market. We are bred to think that if we don’t get an internship right now, we will be doomed to work the fryer at Mcdonalds with our only aspirations being to become manager some day. Internships are all fine and dandy, but god forbid we enjoy being young while the capability of going to the bathroom without the help of an adult diaper still exists.
I recently signed the lease for my very first apartment, and while totally decking it out pimp my apartment style excites me....I can’t help but feel that I need to retain my childhood somehow. That’s why I immediately went out and bought the newest Pokemon game. Part of me thought I had been getting too old for them, but honestly you’re never too old to make cute and cuddly creatures take part in dog fights to the death. *No virtual animals were hurt in the making of this po....ok maybe a little*
It’s not only Pokemon, but I still like to read comic books when I get the chance. I also enjoy watching cartoons. I get a lot of crap from my friends about this who say these are things I’m supposed to outgrow, but I disagree. Being an “adult” isn’t about becoming so serious the only person that finds you exciting is the narrator for the history channel, it’s about knowing who you are and what you like.
Cartoons, Comics, Video Games may all be “childish endeavors”, but giving them up just because other people think you’re too old is even more childish. I guess what I’m trying to say to all my friends who seem to be in a rush to be more “adult” is live a little before the most exciting part of your day becomes putting your teeth in so you can eat some bran cereal. There are certainly parts of our future lives to look forward to, but for now why not kick back with a bowl of fruity pebbles and enjoy some Scooby Doo?
Until next time,
I’m just your friendly neighborhood Bloggerman
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Who Judges The Judgeman
Recently, I find my friends throwing around the word pretentious a lot. Interestingly, pretentious seems to go hand in hand with knowing a lot about a certain subject. One of my friends is a self pro-claimed “judgmental douchebag”. The other day he was watching a documentary about parking lots because other documentaries are obviously too main stream for him, and I found myself judging him.
This raised the question if he is a judgmental douchebag, and I judged him, what does that make me? I have noticed a pattern of myself becoming more “pretentious” lately. I mean I went to see the opera the other night, and my head was translating the original Italian that in it. I'm obviously just THAT cultured.
Also the longer I work on the radio station, the more I feel worthy of judging people based on what music they listen to. I can’t help it, it just sort of happens naturally. I’d like to claim this bad nature was just brought out by spending so much time around this friend who wouldn’t even date a girl because her name was the same as a certain car brand, but it’s simply not true. He may act as a catalyst, but I was probably just judgmental all along.
Everyone judges people on some level, whether it’s based on the clothes they wear, the music they listen to, or even the way they talk. Sorry but if you’re saying “bro” every other word, I’m probably going to think you’re not the most intelligent person in existence. The things I find myself and friends judging people for is a little ridiculous though.
A great example of this is Justin Beiber. Don’t get me wrong, I despise him with my very being, and assume anyone who considers what he does good music needs to get their ears checked. But, I begrudgingly admit that Justin Beiber at least has some music talent compared to some artist who are completely auto tuned these days. However, he should probably stay away from tweeting controversial things about abortion (see: Kanye West).
I almost wonder how the people who I judge perceive me. Some people would like me to believe they aren’t judging me at all, but I don’t believe this to be true. I’m sure with my own music taste people say things to themselves like, “Really he likes those bands? He wouldn’t know good music if it slapped him in the face” Or especially with the way I dress, “Who taught him how to dress? Rosie O Donnel?”. Hell maybe even, “He thinks he’s so much better than us just because he reads twitter updates from NPR on his android phone”.
Sometimes I think I just need to lighten up, but then I’m reminded by my other pretentious friends of the existence of shows like Teen Mom. Or the fact that Snookie is a best selling New York Times author. Actually, I guess Snookie’s book is at least making people read right? That has to count for something.
I guess it’s time for me to go back to reading Charles Dickens in my study while blowing into my bubble pipe.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,
It was Judgmental bloggerman time
This raised the question if he is a judgmental douchebag, and I judged him, what does that make me? I have noticed a pattern of myself becoming more “pretentious” lately. I mean I went to see the opera the other night, and my head was translating the original Italian that in it. I'm obviously just THAT cultured.
Also the longer I work on the radio station, the more I feel worthy of judging people based on what music they listen to. I can’t help it, it just sort of happens naturally. I’d like to claim this bad nature was just brought out by spending so much time around this friend who wouldn’t even date a girl because her name was the same as a certain car brand, but it’s simply not true. He may act as a catalyst, but I was probably just judgmental all along.
Everyone judges people on some level, whether it’s based on the clothes they wear, the music they listen to, or even the way they talk. Sorry but if you’re saying “bro” every other word, I’m probably going to think you’re not the most intelligent person in existence. The things I find myself and friends judging people for is a little ridiculous though.
A great example of this is Justin Beiber. Don’t get me wrong, I despise him with my very being, and assume anyone who considers what he does good music needs to get their ears checked. But, I begrudgingly admit that Justin Beiber at least has some music talent compared to some artist who are completely auto tuned these days. However, he should probably stay away from tweeting controversial things about abortion (see: Kanye West).
I almost wonder how the people who I judge perceive me. Some people would like me to believe they aren’t judging me at all, but I don’t believe this to be true. I’m sure with my own music taste people say things to themselves like, “Really he likes those bands? He wouldn’t know good music if it slapped him in the face” Or especially with the way I dress, “Who taught him how to dress? Rosie O Donnel?”. Hell maybe even, “He thinks he’s so much better than us just because he reads twitter updates from NPR on his android phone”.
Sometimes I think I just need to lighten up, but then I’m reminded by my other pretentious friends of the existence of shows like Teen Mom. Or the fact that Snookie is a best selling New York Times author. Actually, I guess Snookie’s book is at least making people read right? That has to count for something.
I guess it’s time for me to go back to reading Charles Dickens in my study while blowing into my bubble pipe.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,
It was Judgmental bloggerman time
Monday, January 17, 2011
If Batman can stand up for Ricky Gervais then so can I
As many of you know, I am a huge fan of Ricky Gervais. I saw him live for my birthday a few years back, and haven’t stopped talking about it since. Anyone who could come up with the idea for the office and extras is a genius in my book.
There are rumors going around that he has gotten himself banned from the Golden Globes for making some inflammatory comments last night. Honestly, what was the Hollywood Foreign Press Association expecting when they hired him? “Oh he’ll just go on about how lovely everyone is all night, because that’s hilarious right?” He’s a comedian, he gets PAID to make fun of people. And he does it well.
Apparently even the likes of Bruce Willis was offended by some of his comments. Really, Bruce Willis? We’re expected to buy into this image of certain actors or actresses as badasses, but then they go and tattle on Gervais to their agents about what a “meanie” he is.
Don’t get me wrong, his dig at Robert Downey Jr. was definitely taking it too far, but the rest of the jokes he made were pretty much fair game. Hollywood actors and actresses get paid millions of dollars to appear on screen for 2 hours, and literally get treated like gods ( in some cases even better, I doubt the shrines of some of the Greek gods were even as well detailed as some of the shrines fans build to their favorite celebs). Are we really expected to feel sympathetic towards them when one night a year someone makes fun of an aspect of their life that the entire viewing public is well aware of anyway?
Gervais is also supposedly under threat of never being nominated for a Golden Globe. No offense to the Invention of Lying or any other movie he was ever in, but that threat just shows how childish the HFPA is being since he would never be nominated for one anyway. I mean Invention of Lying had that “Pepsi, for when coke isn’t there” line, but assuming they AREN’T that dumb you wouldn’t have seen any Golden Globes in Gervais’ trophy case anyway.
Interestingly, Christian Bale came to his defense. You know you have done something right when you have Batman on your side. But then again, Bale’s idea of humor is punching his mother in the face. Oh, I’ve gone too far now? Guess I’ll have to be banned from the Golden Globes as well.
Until next time,
I’m just your friendly neighborhood bloggerman
There are rumors going around that he has gotten himself banned from the Golden Globes for making some inflammatory comments last night. Honestly, what was the Hollywood Foreign Press Association expecting when they hired him? “Oh he’ll just go on about how lovely everyone is all night, because that’s hilarious right?” He’s a comedian, he gets PAID to make fun of people. And he does it well.
Apparently even the likes of Bruce Willis was offended by some of his comments. Really, Bruce Willis? We’re expected to buy into this image of certain actors or actresses as badasses, but then they go and tattle on Gervais to their agents about what a “meanie” he is.
Don’t get me wrong, his dig at Robert Downey Jr. was definitely taking it too far, but the rest of the jokes he made were pretty much fair game. Hollywood actors and actresses get paid millions of dollars to appear on screen for 2 hours, and literally get treated like gods ( in some cases even better, I doubt the shrines of some of the Greek gods were even as well detailed as some of the shrines fans build to their favorite celebs). Are we really expected to feel sympathetic towards them when one night a year someone makes fun of an aspect of their life that the entire viewing public is well aware of anyway?
Gervais is also supposedly under threat of never being nominated for a Golden Globe. No offense to the Invention of Lying or any other movie he was ever in, but that threat just shows how childish the HFPA is being since he would never be nominated for one anyway. I mean Invention of Lying had that “Pepsi, for when coke isn’t there” line, but assuming they AREN’T that dumb you wouldn’t have seen any Golden Globes in Gervais’ trophy case anyway.
Interestingly, Christian Bale came to his defense. You know you have done something right when you have Batman on your side. But then again, Bale’s idea of humor is punching his mother in the face. Oh, I’ve gone too far now? Guess I’ll have to be banned from the Golden Globes as well.
Until next time,
I’m just your friendly neighborhood bloggerman
Friday, January 7, 2011
Senor Frog's is hopping (the revenge of the old man puns)
This post, should you receive it, comes to you via the Mexican Internet. Apparently not all internets are created equal, contrary to the popular belief of those who think the every answer to life is on google.
Now don’t get me wrong. Mexico is a wonderful place to be in the winter time. The sun is continually shining, the sound of the ocean is calming, and random people are offering to massage my feet. Actually, I don’t like that last part. Why would I want some stranger touching my foot? Or, even worse, why do they want to touch my foot? You could say it was the money sure, but there isn’t enough money in the world.
I could tell you about how I went to see the jungle, or went parasailing, or maybe saw a donkey show. But the truth is, I haven’t done any of those things. Not that I want to see a donkey show, but it’s one of those things us college students are SUPPOSED to do when we come here. Kind of like how we are supposed to drink tequila while singing, “1 tequila, 2 tequila, 3 tequila....FLOOR”. No, the highlight of my trip has been videoing a couple parrots flying over my head, laying on the beach getting some much needed R &R after all the long nights (with the help Dunkin Doughnuts coffe, Dunkin keeps America running. This blog is not sponsored in anyway by Dunkin Doughnuts, pay no attention to the ads) back at school, and finally watching a man get rescued on the beach.
Why was I standing there watching the man get rescued? For starters, I don’t consider myself a good swimmer. As much as I’d like to imagine myself being a super hero, I am not. This is actually the ONE situation where Aquaman would have been helpful. Maybe, just maybe, I didn’t help because everyone else besides the life guards (who were running in bay watch fashion) were just staring and watching. Actually, one guy did try to help, and only ended up being a second person for the life guards to help. Moral of the story: next time you want to help someone in danger, don’t. (Kidding obviously, but do seriously consider if you can really help)
The nights are slightly boring. Why’s that you ask? Well when you’re on vacation with your parents you can’t exactly go clubbing or anything, not that I really would, but it’s nice to pretend right? Because I’m in another country, hulu and sites of that sort won’t let me catch up on any of my favorite tv shows which is a bit frustrating.
It’s probably a sign I should spend less time on the computer, but I have been reading about a book a day and didn’t bring enough books with me to last the entire time. I’d say this bad planning on my part was a circumstance of this one time, but again I don’t want to be a liar. I should probably work on not procrastinating so much...starting tomorrow.
There is a plus side though. All the reading I’ve done lately has made me head swell with the desire to do some writing of my own again. So you all get to suffer through a bunch of post just like this one again! Oh joyous day!
-Until next time,
I’m just your friendly neighborhood bloggerman
Now don’t get me wrong. Mexico is a wonderful place to be in the winter time. The sun is continually shining, the sound of the ocean is calming, and random people are offering to massage my feet. Actually, I don’t like that last part. Why would I want some stranger touching my foot? Or, even worse, why do they want to touch my foot? You could say it was the money sure, but there isn’t enough money in the world.
I could tell you about how I went to see the jungle, or went parasailing, or maybe saw a donkey show. But the truth is, I haven’t done any of those things. Not that I want to see a donkey show, but it’s one of those things us college students are SUPPOSED to do when we come here. Kind of like how we are supposed to drink tequila while singing, “1 tequila, 2 tequila, 3 tequila....FLOOR”. No, the highlight of my trip has been videoing a couple parrots flying over my head, laying on the beach getting some much needed R &R after all the long nights (with the help Dunkin Doughnuts coffe, Dunkin keeps America running. This blog is not sponsored in anyway by Dunkin Doughnuts, pay no attention to the ads) back at school, and finally watching a man get rescued on the beach.
Why was I standing there watching the man get rescued? For starters, I don’t consider myself a good swimmer. As much as I’d like to imagine myself being a super hero, I am not. This is actually the ONE situation where Aquaman would have been helpful. Maybe, just maybe, I didn’t help because everyone else besides the life guards (who were running in bay watch fashion) were just staring and watching. Actually, one guy did try to help, and only ended up being a second person for the life guards to help. Moral of the story: next time you want to help someone in danger, don’t. (Kidding obviously, but do seriously consider if you can really help)
The nights are slightly boring. Why’s that you ask? Well when you’re on vacation with your parents you can’t exactly go clubbing or anything, not that I really would, but it’s nice to pretend right? Because I’m in another country, hulu and sites of that sort won’t let me catch up on any of my favorite tv shows which is a bit frustrating.
It’s probably a sign I should spend less time on the computer, but I have been reading about a book a day and didn’t bring enough books with me to last the entire time. I’d say this bad planning on my part was a circumstance of this one time, but again I don’t want to be a liar. I should probably work on not procrastinating so much...starting tomorrow.
There is a plus side though. All the reading I’ve done lately has made me head swell with the desire to do some writing of my own again. So you all get to suffer through a bunch of post just like this one again! Oh joyous day!
-Until next time,
I’m just your friendly neighborhood bloggerman
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Remember Remember The 2nd of November
I’ve been noticing since the elections occurred yesterday that many of my friends are complaining about the results, and are claiming they are going to move out of this country.I will admit when I was in middle school I had ideas of moving out of the country myself, but that's before I really knew anything about politics. While I am by no means thrilled myself with the results, I’d like to remind my friends that we live in one of the most democratically free countries in the world. In our parents generations if they weren’t happy with the political policies, they marched on D.C. In our generation, we complain via our facebook statuses.
That’s the great thing about this country. We have the freedom, at least theoretically, to be able to change the politics of which we don’t approve. The difference is that people give up too easily, are generally unmotivated, and maybe our best and brightest really do move to other countries. As cool as Scott Pilgrim may make Canada seem, it has its own issues especially with it’s Health Care System which is why a lot of the best doctors from Canada end up coming to America. As cool as we Americans think British accents are, their system has it flaws as well.
Look on the bright side people: Christine O’Donnel did not win her election. The day I lose any hope I have left for this country is the day that someone who is asked what issues they are against and then asks the questioner to give them some issues is elected. Granted, she didn’t use the words “getting all mavericky maverick up in here” so she may be slightly better than Sarah Palin.
Next time you consider moving out of the country, remind yourself that the best place to live these days is probably Switzerland. Do you know how many languages you’d have to be proficient at to really blend in/get along in Switzerland? At least four. That’s three and half more than most Americans are willing to learn ( I say 3 and half because a lot of us also suck at English).
Until next time,
I’m just your friendly neighborhood bloggerman
That’s the great thing about this country. We have the freedom, at least theoretically, to be able to change the politics of which we don’t approve. The difference is that people give up too easily, are generally unmotivated, and maybe our best and brightest really do move to other countries. As cool as Scott Pilgrim may make Canada seem, it has its own issues especially with it’s Health Care System which is why a lot of the best doctors from Canada end up coming to America. As cool as we Americans think British accents are, their system has it flaws as well.
Look on the bright side people: Christine O’Donnel did not win her election. The day I lose any hope I have left for this country is the day that someone who is asked what issues they are against and then asks the questioner to give them some issues is elected. Granted, she didn’t use the words “getting all mavericky maverick up in here” so she may be slightly better than Sarah Palin.
Next time you consider moving out of the country, remind yourself that the best place to live these days is probably Switzerland. Do you know how many languages you’d have to be proficient at to really blend in/get along in Switzerland? At least four. That’s three and half more than most Americans are willing to learn ( I say 3 and half because a lot of us also suck at English).
Until next time,
I’m just your friendly neighborhood bloggerman
Sunday, October 17, 2010
The Phoenix Is Reborn
This title seems fitting because I’ve been reflecting a lot on lately on “my past life” if you will. Life before I started going to Ithaca college, or even life as a “lowly freshman”. This time last year the high point of my life was telling my neighbor’s girlfriend that she sounded like the demon from the movie paranormal activity when they went at in bed ( I still have nightmares about that movie...and that sound). This title is also fitting because now, I’m going to concerts such as Phoenix at Cornell.
Phoenix was unknown to me until this summer...then again a lot of the music I like now was unknown me previous to this summer. As many of you who read this know, I went to Lollapalooza this summer and it pretty much changed my life. Not in the “oh my god I’m going to be a musician cause I totally can play my acoustic guitar while doing covers of bob dylan in your local starbucks” way, but in the helping me to define who and what I am, as well as what I like to do. Phoenix which had been new to me then seemed like an old friend at this point.
It was a night out with friends, friends who I had not seen much lately, save the exception of one who insists on being more my frenemy than my actual friend (even though she is in my list of favorite contacts on my phone). I had been thinking lately what life had been like before I knew them, how things had changed since meeting them, and how hot the opening act was...the last part isn’t a kodak moment, but it needed to be said.
So may there be many more nights of almost having a seizure from the light show filled with the companionship of friends such as yourselves. As for Phoenix, keep stringing together random english words to make songs it’s really awesome. Oh also buy yourself an english dictionary and look up the definition of the word “last song”, not that I’m complaining. Also thank you for putting on the best show I've seen since Lollapalooza itself.
Until next time,
I’m just your friendly neighborhood bloggerman
Phoenix was unknown to me until this summer...then again a lot of the music I like now was unknown me previous to this summer. As many of you who read this know, I went to Lollapalooza this summer and it pretty much changed my life. Not in the “oh my god I’m going to be a musician cause I totally can play my acoustic guitar while doing covers of bob dylan in your local starbucks” way, but in the helping me to define who and what I am, as well as what I like to do. Phoenix which had been new to me then seemed like an old friend at this point.
It was a night out with friends, friends who I had not seen much lately, save the exception of one who insists on being more my frenemy than my actual friend (even though she is in my list of favorite contacts on my phone). I had been thinking lately what life had been like before I knew them, how things had changed since meeting them, and how hot the opening act was...the last part isn’t a kodak moment, but it needed to be said.
So may there be many more nights of almost having a seizure from the light show filled with the companionship of friends such as yourselves. As for Phoenix, keep stringing together random english words to make songs it’s really awesome. Oh also buy yourself an english dictionary and look up the definition of the word “last song”, not that I’m complaining. Also thank you for putting on the best show I've seen since Lollapalooza itself.
Until next time,
I’m just your friendly neighborhood bloggerman
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
I hate it
Recently on Facebook I noticed a bunch of statuses like “ I like it on the kitchen table”. Wondering what this is about, I asked a few friends until I finally got an answer. It was in response to the question “Where do you like to leave your handbag when you get home”. When I asked a few friends who actually made it their status if they knew why they were responding to that question or where it came from, they had no clue.
Eventually, I did my own research and found out that it was a movement started to raise breast cancer awareness. Great cause , except one problem. If no one participating it even knows what the cause is about, how exactly does it help raise awareness? Most people are only making it their statuses because they can’t dare be out of the loop.
I have said this before and I will likely say it again, taking action on Facebook for a cause rarely accomplishes anything. All it really accomplishes is giving you a false sense of accomplishment. Joining one of those groups where they say they will donate x amount of money for everyone who joins is 99 % of the time totally bogus.
In general, I’m fascinated by how blindly people follow trends these days. It makes me worried that if the wrong thing were to become trendy, suddenly people could be supporting causes that would result in bad consequences. I am not saying I am guilt free either, because I was morbidly curious myself as to why this was so many peoples' facebook statuses.
Maybe it’s because I recently saw the movie The Social Network (which was amazing by the way), but the powers of social networking on the internet never cease to amaze me. Our generation updates each other about what we ate for breakfast via tweet (who cares if I had fruit loops for breakfast), what we did last weekend with pictures on facebook, and just about every detail you could want to know (or not know) about the person’s life. We all feel the need to constantly share our thoughts, which I realize I am just propagating by having a blog...but sue me.
Basically my recommendation is we should start putting more thought into these things, instead of just following the trends. But then I doubt that will ever happen, so in the meantime I will be looking for an application for a job to a social networking site. The matrix is slowly becoming a reality, our lives slowly becoming dictated by computers. I know, the former computer nerd (or current depending on how you look at it) is making this comment on his blog, again I’m a hypocrite.
Until next time,
I’m just your hypocritical neighborhood bloggerman
Eventually, I did my own research and found out that it was a movement started to raise breast cancer awareness. Great cause , except one problem. If no one participating it even knows what the cause is about, how exactly does it help raise awareness? Most people are only making it their statuses because they can’t dare be out of the loop.
I have said this before and I will likely say it again, taking action on Facebook for a cause rarely accomplishes anything. All it really accomplishes is giving you a false sense of accomplishment. Joining one of those groups where they say they will donate x amount of money for everyone who joins is 99 % of the time totally bogus.
In general, I’m fascinated by how blindly people follow trends these days. It makes me worried that if the wrong thing were to become trendy, suddenly people could be supporting causes that would result in bad consequences. I am not saying I am guilt free either, because I was morbidly curious myself as to why this was so many peoples' facebook statuses.
Maybe it’s because I recently saw the movie The Social Network (which was amazing by the way), but the powers of social networking on the internet never cease to amaze me. Our generation updates each other about what we ate for breakfast via tweet (who cares if I had fruit loops for breakfast), what we did last weekend with pictures on facebook, and just about every detail you could want to know (or not know) about the person’s life. We all feel the need to constantly share our thoughts, which I realize I am just propagating by having a blog...but sue me.
Basically my recommendation is we should start putting more thought into these things, instead of just following the trends. But then I doubt that will ever happen, so in the meantime I will be looking for an application for a job to a social networking site. The matrix is slowly becoming a reality, our lives slowly becoming dictated by computers. I know, the former computer nerd (or current depending on how you look at it) is making this comment on his blog, again I’m a hypocrite.
Until next time,
I’m just your hypocritical neighborhood bloggerman
Thursday, September 2, 2010
I Wanna Soak Up The Sun
So, I basically just announced to the entirety of the internet that I used to love that one Sheryl Crow song. Greaaat. Anyway, as many of you may have noticed it has been hot as hell in Ithaca this week. Let me repeat that for emphasis: It has been hot as hell IN ITHACA.
This is the same school that people joke that the seasons are August and Winter. Granted, we only recently got into September but I hope for some snow to start falling immediately. I’m sure by the end of a typical Ithaca winter I’ll be wishing for the snow to be gone, but I seriously hate the heat. It makes it hard to focus ( or maybe that’s just me blaming some latent A.D.D. on the heat), and just generally makes me feel sick.
The fact that it keeps reaching 90 or so in Ithaca must be some kind of record. I thought the highest temperatures were supposed to get here were about -10 degrees F, and we had to take dog sleds to get to class. Or at the very least we could ice skate!
It’s a shame we aren’t a nudist college, or the Nelly song may totally apply here. Then again I suppose I should be happy that we aren’t a nudist college, because that means the professors would be as well. I guess that would be good for the bio students who are trying to learn Anatomy though.
My solution to the heat is make friends with someone with an air conditioner. Which I’m pretty sure I have done but I’ve yet to take advantage of... Which means my goal before that should have probably been to become more of a jerk. Either that or I need to meet Mr. Freeze from the Batman series, he seems like a pretty “cool” guy. Har Har I’m so punny.
Until next time (if the heat hasn’t melted my brain in which case it’s been a great run),
I’m just your friendly neighborhood bloggerman
This is the same school that people joke that the seasons are August and Winter. Granted, we only recently got into September but I hope for some snow to start falling immediately. I’m sure by the end of a typical Ithaca winter I’ll be wishing for the snow to be gone, but I seriously hate the heat. It makes it hard to focus ( or maybe that’s just me blaming some latent A.D.D. on the heat), and just generally makes me feel sick.
The fact that it keeps reaching 90 or so in Ithaca must be some kind of record. I thought the highest temperatures were supposed to get here were about -10 degrees F, and we had to take dog sleds to get to class. Or at the very least we could ice skate!
It’s a shame we aren’t a nudist college, or the Nelly song may totally apply here. Then again I suppose I should be happy that we aren’t a nudist college, because that means the professors would be as well. I guess that would be good for the bio students who are trying to learn Anatomy though.
My solution to the heat is make friends with someone with an air conditioner. Which I’m pretty sure I have done but I’ve yet to take advantage of... Which means my goal before that should have probably been to become more of a jerk. Either that or I need to meet Mr. Freeze from the Batman series, he seems like a pretty “cool” guy. Har Har I’m so punny.
Until next time (if the heat hasn’t melted my brain in which case it’s been a great run),
I’m just your friendly neighborhood bloggerman
Sunday, August 29, 2010
When you wish upon a star
So now that I have a regular group of readers (you know who you are), I feel somewhat pressured to write a blog more often. Tonight’s topic has been in the works for a while, which is my take on aliens. Maybe it’s because I watched a lot of Doctor Who this summer, maybe it’s because I love star gazing, or maybe it’s because everyone expects me to write about aliens sometime because “lols hes a nerd”.
Earlier this summer I read what Steven Hawking had to say about how if Aliens came to the world, they’d imperialize us just like Columbus did to the Native Americans. While I don’t necessarily disagree this might be the case, I can only wonder why Mr. Hawking used this specific image. I understand that he is implying the aliens will do horrible things to us, but doesn’t that also imply that the aliens will have sex with us? Thus every star trek/star wars fanboys greatest dream has just been fulfilled.
I’d like to believe that the aliens are really a peaceful race of cute beings whose advanced technology can beat out even the championed 3D TV. I mean why not go for 4D? Who wouldn’t want to watch their favorite celebrities that wa...sorry I was busy drooling over some of the ideas that just came to mind.
I’m not sure whether I believe in Aliens the way they are depicted in popular fiction. Anime nerds, you all want that hot alien girl to fall out of the sky and give you super powers. It most likely isn’t going to happen...and if it does, I call dibs. But they may not be like in the horror movies where they destroy everything in their path either.
Personally, I think they may just be a plant like life form of some kind. It’s hard to imagine we are the only planet capable of sustaining life, but if there is other life out there I have a hard time picturing it as the cheesy martian costumes have been depicted for years. Maybe they’re so complex my tiny human brain can’t even comprehend the work that went into what looks like a badly made costume with a zipper sticking out.
This one goes out to my alien counterpart who is writing a post wondering if we exist or not. May you “live long and prosper”, and please don’t invade my planet.
Until next time,
I’m just your friendly neighborhood bloggerman (feel free to comment, I like comments. I promise I won't probe you!)
Earlier this summer I read what Steven Hawking had to say about how if Aliens came to the world, they’d imperialize us just like Columbus did to the Native Americans. While I don’t necessarily disagree this might be the case, I can only wonder why Mr. Hawking used this specific image. I understand that he is implying the aliens will do horrible things to us, but doesn’t that also imply that the aliens will have sex with us? Thus every star trek/star wars fanboys greatest dream has just been fulfilled.
I’d like to believe that the aliens are really a peaceful race of cute beings whose advanced technology can beat out even the championed 3D TV. I mean why not go for 4D? Who wouldn’t want to watch their favorite celebrities that wa...sorry I was busy drooling over some of the ideas that just came to mind.
I’m not sure whether I believe in Aliens the way they are depicted in popular fiction. Anime nerds, you all want that hot alien girl to fall out of the sky and give you super powers. It most likely isn’t going to happen...and if it does, I call dibs. But they may not be like in the horror movies where they destroy everything in their path either.
Personally, I think they may just be a plant like life form of some kind. It’s hard to imagine we are the only planet capable of sustaining life, but if there is other life out there I have a hard time picturing it as the cheesy martian costumes have been depicted for years. Maybe they’re so complex my tiny human brain can’t even comprehend the work that went into what looks like a badly made costume with a zipper sticking out.
This one goes out to my alien counterpart who is writing a post wondering if we exist or not. May you “live long and prosper”, and please don’t invade my planet.
Until next time,
I’m just your friendly neighborhood bloggerman (feel free to comment, I like comments. I promise I won't probe you!)
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Ready To Start
Besides just being the title of one the songs on Arcade Fire’s latest album, this is legitimately how I feel about this school year. It may have only been a few days so far, but I really can’t shake the feeling that this year is going to be better than last year. Maybe that’s just getting over my so called “freshiness”, maybe it’s the self confidence I gained over this summer, or maybe the dining hall food has finally drugged my mind.
Classes so far have been decent, I think with my favorite being Italian. Those of who know me well know that I don’t consider myself good at foreign languages, but I actually think I have a decent accent when it comes to Italian. I love saying multi bene after every exercise I do with my partner, it briefly makes me feel like David Tennant’s Doctor Who.
As the title of this post suggests, I’ve become kinda obsessed with music. As some of you know I went to Lollapalooza this summer, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Now I pretty much want to go to every live show I can, because nothing beats sweating like a pig due to all the body heat coming off the crowd.I’m also going to work on the local Ithaca College radio station (still debating if I want to work on both of them), so if you happen to be one of the three people who tunes in and hear someone making the equipment screech it’s probably me!
I’m not really sure how often I’ll be updating my blog, I know it’s become kind of sporadic. I hope to be really busy this year, because I’ve learned the busier I am the happier I am. It’s funny how having less time to reflect on stuff for an avid over-thinker makes things better right? I realize this post is more personal than my usual stuff, but I can’t go on random rants about how video game characters aren’t getting some from their significant others all the time...or can I?
Until next time,
I’m just your friendly neighborhood bloggerman
Classes so far have been decent, I think with my favorite being Italian. Those of who know me well know that I don’t consider myself good at foreign languages, but I actually think I have a decent accent when it comes to Italian. I love saying multi bene after every exercise I do with my partner, it briefly makes me feel like David Tennant’s Doctor Who.
As the title of this post suggests, I’ve become kinda obsessed with music. As some of you know I went to Lollapalooza this summer, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Now I pretty much want to go to every live show I can, because nothing beats sweating like a pig due to all the body heat coming off the crowd.I’m also going to work on the local Ithaca College radio station (still debating if I want to work on both of them), so if you happen to be one of the three people who tunes in and hear someone making the equipment screech it’s probably me!
I’m not really sure how often I’ll be updating my blog, I know it’s become kind of sporadic. I hope to be really busy this year, because I’ve learned the busier I am the happier I am. It’s funny how having less time to reflect on stuff for an avid over-thinker makes things better right? I realize this post is more personal than my usual stuff, but I can’t go on random rants about how video game characters aren’t getting some from their significant others all the time...or can I?
Until next time,
I’m just your friendly neighborhood bloggerman
Monday, August 9, 2010
I have a blog so that means I have authority to give my opinion about music, and actually think people care right? (Part Three)
Day Three:
The Miniature Tigers-I got very close because it was raining and early in the morning. Originally I was going to pass them up to hang out with my friends, but when I saw they had a huge crowd I went running up with my arms raised shouting “woo miniature tigers”. They put on a great show and were very chill!
The Antlers-I was also very close cause it was raining, and they were so awesome about how if stuff fell on them cause it was windy they wanted their ashes spread over the park. I didn’t know everyone else liked Two as much as I did though, it was pretty awesome when they played it.
The Dodos-I was kinda also hiding from the heat at this point, but I liked a few songs and didn’t like others. I think I would have needed to be in the crowd to get a better feal. If you couldn’t tell I the sun was kinda my enemy during this festival...maybe cause I’m secretly a vampire ( I later had sparkles on me too)
Blitzentrapper-Kinda Bob Dylan meets modern rock...though I guess that’s like a lot of bands these days? Regardless, I really enjoyed them and need to look into them more. I was disappointed I missed their show on the smaller stage though...I wanted them to look me in the eyes and sing so I could swoon...
Hockey-They played the one song I knew which was cool, but after that I kinda lost interest. Plus Yeasayer was at 4, and Hockey was at 3:30. They also need to put hockey sticks in their gimmick somewhere, as well as an ode to Canada.
Yeasayer- I liked what I saw, but I left early to go see if I could get to Blitzen Trappers’ smaller show. As you already saw that didn’t work out, so I kind of regret that choice. Not too worried because Ithaca is a pretty indy town and they’ll probably come through again at some point.
MGMT-Terrible live! Their new stuff is awful, and their old stuff doesn’t sound good if it’s not studio. The highlights though were green man (of it’s always sunny fame) crowd surfing, as well as being high five by a drunk guy who missed and basically punched me in the wrist hells yeah!
The National-I wasn’t a huge fan, but I wasn’t a huge fan to begin with. They did bring a lot of energy to their performance, but I was so pumped for Arcade Fire that the band before them was screwed no matter what.
Arcade Fire-Best live show of my entire life. The songs from the Suburbs sound even better live, and it’s so fun to sing and dance along to their stuff! They also played Keep the Car running as their “last song”, followed by Wake Up as an encore. I’ve never seen a crowd get more into a song than that crowd did for Wake Up. Even after the show was over, people were still singing the chorus line...myself included. My only regret was I missed catching the guitar strap they threw into the crowd...there’s always next time! I’m just lucky I didn’t pass out from overexcitement...though I may have come very close to a heart attack. Also remember the sparkles? This is where they came from, they were poured on me as I was jumping around. Would Edward Cullen jump around at shows? I leave you with that thought.
Until next time,
I’m just your friendly neighborhood bloggerman
The Miniature Tigers-I got very close because it was raining and early in the morning. Originally I was going to pass them up to hang out with my friends, but when I saw they had a huge crowd I went running up with my arms raised shouting “woo miniature tigers”. They put on a great show and were very chill!
The Antlers-I was also very close cause it was raining, and they were so awesome about how if stuff fell on them cause it was windy they wanted their ashes spread over the park. I didn’t know everyone else liked Two as much as I did though, it was pretty awesome when they played it.
The Dodos-I was kinda also hiding from the heat at this point, but I liked a few songs and didn’t like others. I think I would have needed to be in the crowd to get a better feal. If you couldn’t tell I the sun was kinda my enemy during this festival...maybe cause I’m secretly a vampire ( I later had sparkles on me too)
Blitzentrapper-Kinda Bob Dylan meets modern rock...though I guess that’s like a lot of bands these days? Regardless, I really enjoyed them and need to look into them more. I was disappointed I missed their show on the smaller stage though...I wanted them to look me in the eyes and sing so I could swoon...
Hockey-They played the one song I knew which was cool, but after that I kinda lost interest. Plus Yeasayer was at 4, and Hockey was at 3:30. They also need to put hockey sticks in their gimmick somewhere, as well as an ode to Canada.
Yeasayer- I liked what I saw, but I left early to go see if I could get to Blitzen Trappers’ smaller show. As you already saw that didn’t work out, so I kind of regret that choice. Not too worried because Ithaca is a pretty indy town and they’ll probably come through again at some point.
MGMT-Terrible live! Their new stuff is awful, and their old stuff doesn’t sound good if it’s not studio. The highlights though were green man (of it’s always sunny fame) crowd surfing, as well as being high five by a drunk guy who missed and basically punched me in the wrist hells yeah!
The National-I wasn’t a huge fan, but I wasn’t a huge fan to begin with. They did bring a lot of energy to their performance, but I was so pumped for Arcade Fire that the band before them was screwed no matter what.
Arcade Fire-Best live show of my entire life. The songs from the Suburbs sound even better live, and it’s so fun to sing and dance along to their stuff! They also played Keep the Car running as their “last song”, followed by Wake Up as an encore. I’ve never seen a crowd get more into a song than that crowd did for Wake Up. Even after the show was over, people were still singing the chorus line...myself included. My only regret was I missed catching the guitar strap they threw into the crowd...there’s always next time! I’m just lucky I didn’t pass out from overexcitement...though I may have come very close to a heart attack. Also remember the sparkles? This is where they came from, they were poured on me as I was jumping around. Would Edward Cullen jump around at shows? I leave you with that thought.
Until next time,
I’m just your friendly neighborhood bloggerman
I have a blog so that means I have authority to give my opinion about music, and actually think people care right? (Part Two)
Day Two:
MynameisJohnMichael-A relatively unheard of band from New Orleans, I happened to be passing one of the smaller stages and heard a sound I liked. I started out in the back, but eventually worked my way towards the front as I got more into it. For a start up band I was incredibly impressed by the energy they brought to the table, and how they got nearly everyone in their audience to clap along. Anyone who likes music like the sort that was played at Lolla,I highly recommend their only album that is currently out The people that come and go.
Rebultion-Put on a decent show. They play what I imagine is a cross between rock and reggae, or what I more simply refer to as stoner music. I didn’t stay for long because I wanted to get a good spot for Rogue Wave.
Rogue Wave-Put on an amazing live show! I didn’t think it was possible, but Lake Michigan was even better live than it was studio. After the show, I met all of them! I high fived every member, got my tshirt signed, and got Permalight signed. if anyone heard a giddy girlyish squee coming from the autograph tent...that was probably me.
Blues Traveler-Brought me back to the 90’s, which is always a good thing. My inner bro also came out and sung along with them when they did a cover of “What I got” by Sublime. I bailed on them a bit early after changing my shirt in the middle of their show to go get it signed by Rogue Wave (I apologize for anyone who was blinded by the sun’s glare of my very white body).
The XX-I got dragged here by a friend, and I didn’t really enjoy it. Just not my scene. They had some good beats, but the singing wasn’t really my style. I bailed kinda early to go see Grizzly Bear.
Grizzly Bear-I feel bad, but it was sooo hot that I really didn’t pay much attention to them as I desperately searched for shade. What I did hear though sounded very good. I bailed a little early on them to go to Edward Sharpe.
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros-The largest hippy fest I’ve ever seen personally. The only songs I knew really were 40 day dream, janglin’, and home...but they were all good live. I probably didn’t enjoy the show as much as I would have otherwise because I went all the way to the back from pretty much to the front to be with my friend. Sometimes though, it’s more the people you’re with than the music as sappy as that is. I’m sure good people could even make the worst show awesome.
Cut Copy-Sounded pretty good, I didn’t pay all that much attention because I wanted to get a good spot for Phoenix...even though I didn’t really know Phoenix well before this show.
Phoenix-Was sooo crazy! We got pretty far up and there was crazy moshes, I didn’t get kicked in the head 7 times this time (did I mention that already? no? Are you sure) They brought so much energy, and it was so much fun. The lead singer may need to redefine what last means in english, everything was their “last” song haha.
MynameisJohnMichael-A relatively unheard of band from New Orleans, I happened to be passing one of the smaller stages and heard a sound I liked. I started out in the back, but eventually worked my way towards the front as I got more into it. For a start up band I was incredibly impressed by the energy they brought to the table, and how they got nearly everyone in their audience to clap along. Anyone who likes music like the sort that was played at Lolla,I highly recommend their only album that is currently out The people that come and go.
Rebultion-Put on a decent show. They play what I imagine is a cross between rock and reggae, or what I more simply refer to as stoner music. I didn’t stay for long because I wanted to get a good spot for Rogue Wave.
Rogue Wave-Put on an amazing live show! I didn’t think it was possible, but Lake Michigan was even better live than it was studio. After the show, I met all of them! I high fived every member, got my tshirt signed, and got Permalight signed. if anyone heard a giddy girlyish squee coming from the autograph tent...that was probably me.
Blues Traveler-Brought me back to the 90’s, which is always a good thing. My inner bro also came out and sung along with them when they did a cover of “What I got” by Sublime. I bailed on them a bit early after changing my shirt in the middle of their show to go get it signed by Rogue Wave (I apologize for anyone who was blinded by the sun’s glare of my very white body).
The XX-I got dragged here by a friend, and I didn’t really enjoy it. Just not my scene. They had some good beats, but the singing wasn’t really my style. I bailed kinda early to go see Grizzly Bear.
Grizzly Bear-I feel bad, but it was sooo hot that I really didn’t pay much attention to them as I desperately searched for shade. What I did hear though sounded very good. I bailed a little early on them to go to Edward Sharpe.
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros-The largest hippy fest I’ve ever seen personally. The only songs I knew really were 40 day dream, janglin’, and home...but they were all good live. I probably didn’t enjoy the show as much as I would have otherwise because I went all the way to the back from pretty much to the front to be with my friend. Sometimes though, it’s more the people you’re with than the music as sappy as that is. I’m sure good people could even make the worst show awesome.
Cut Copy-Sounded pretty good, I didn’t pay all that much attention because I wanted to get a good spot for Phoenix...even though I didn’t really know Phoenix well before this show.
Phoenix-Was sooo crazy! We got pretty far up and there was crazy moshes, I didn’t get kicked in the head 7 times this time (did I mention that already? no? Are you sure) They brought so much energy, and it was so much fun. The lead singer may need to redefine what last means in english, everything was their “last” song haha.
I have a blog so that means I have authority to give my opinion about music, and actually think people care right? (Part one)
I love self mocking titles.So as some of you may or may not know, I took my first trip without my parents to Chicago this weekend for Lollapalooza. I LOVED Chicago. The city is tailor made for people in our age group who love indie music, modern art, and just generally chilling in parks ( I just described about 90 % of our age group...how sad is that). As much as I’d love to go on and on about Chicago, this post is about the bands I saw.
It'll be broken up into three parts (three days, three parts look mom I can do math!)
Day 1:
The Walkmen-There is absolutely nothing bad to say about the Walkmen, besides that I didn’t expect them to be as good as they are. My friend played me some of their stuff and they were a band I checked out because I had nothing better to do, and because honestly...my body refused to let me sleep in ( I apologize Walkmen, I know the error of my ways now). They sound almost exactly like they do in the studio, and bring a lot of energy to the table. I also like the fact that their gimmick is to dress up like they are business men while rocking out.
New Pornographers-They led off with Sing me Spanish Techno which I’m pretty sure is the only song of theirs anyone actually knows. I didn’t stay for long because I wanted to get a good spot for Matt & Kim, which was either a mistake or one of the best decisions I made all festival.
Matt & Kim-Was CRAZY! Whether it was Kim dancing on top of the audiences hands, Matt pretty much standing on his fingers while playing piano, or being kicked in the back of the head by crowd surfers seven times, they brought SO much energy to the show. I was exhausted after, but at least I helped my friend fufill his dream of getting his picture with Kim (he missed out on his attempt to give her a butt touch though... shame for him)
Hot Chip-I kinda passed out on the ground near the Hot Chip stage being so tired from Matt & Kim. While I wasn’t busy getting high off second hand smoke (I hope this isn’t true, but the smell of pot became second nature), they sounded pretty good in the background. Not much else to say because I was in a daze from having been kicked in the 7 times (did I mention this already? ...I’m like one of those rappers, I got kicked 7 times!)
Lady Gaga-The biggest disappointment of the festival! Before all you fans get your panties/thongs in a bunch, let me just say that all she did was rant for nearly an hour while only playing one song. As much as I agree with her message that it’s ok to be who you want to be, it was a music festival, not tell us all about your daddy issues festival. I may have enjoyed this show if I had taken the acid some dude offered me at the start. It sucks because I’m a straight male and will admit I used to have dance parties to Lady Gaga...but now I’m not so sure.
The Strokes-I should slap myself for not trusting my gut instinct to go to The Strokes in the first place. At least I got there in time for all my favorite songs...I even sung and danced along..in public! *gasp* The Strokes reminded me of why I used to love them so much, and made me slap myself for ever doubting them.
It'll be broken up into three parts (three days, three parts look mom I can do math!)
Day 1:
The Walkmen-There is absolutely nothing bad to say about the Walkmen, besides that I didn’t expect them to be as good as they are. My friend played me some of their stuff and they were a band I checked out because I had nothing better to do, and because honestly...my body refused to let me sleep in ( I apologize Walkmen, I know the error of my ways now). They sound almost exactly like they do in the studio, and bring a lot of energy to the table. I also like the fact that their gimmick is to dress up like they are business men while rocking out.
New Pornographers-They led off with Sing me Spanish Techno which I’m pretty sure is the only song of theirs anyone actually knows. I didn’t stay for long because I wanted to get a good spot for Matt & Kim, which was either a mistake or one of the best decisions I made all festival.
Matt & Kim-Was CRAZY! Whether it was Kim dancing on top of the audiences hands, Matt pretty much standing on his fingers while playing piano, or being kicked in the back of the head by crowd surfers seven times, they brought SO much energy to the show. I was exhausted after, but at least I helped my friend fufill his dream of getting his picture with Kim (he missed out on his attempt to give her a butt touch though... shame for him)
Hot Chip-I kinda passed out on the ground near the Hot Chip stage being so tired from Matt & Kim. While I wasn’t busy getting high off second hand smoke (I hope this isn’t true, but the smell of pot became second nature), they sounded pretty good in the background. Not much else to say because I was in a daze from having been kicked in the 7 times (did I mention this already? ...I’m like one of those rappers, I got kicked 7 times!)
Lady Gaga-The biggest disappointment of the festival! Before all you fans get your panties/thongs in a bunch, let me just say that all she did was rant for nearly an hour while only playing one song. As much as I agree with her message that it’s ok to be who you want to be, it was a music festival, not tell us all about your daddy issues festival. I may have enjoyed this show if I had taken the acid some dude offered me at the start. It sucks because I’m a straight male and will admit I used to have dance parties to Lady Gaga...but now I’m not so sure.
The Strokes-I should slap myself for not trusting my gut instinct to go to The Strokes in the first place. At least I got there in time for all my favorite songs...I even sung and danced along..in public! *gasp* The Strokes reminded me of why I used to love them so much, and made me slap myself for ever doubting them.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
A rant about Super Mario Galaxy 2
Forgive the lack of a creative title, but I am calling this what it is. It is a rant about Super Mario Galaxy 2. I was playing earlier, when I noticed all these stupid little bulletin boards that would show me hints/videos of how to jump across the platform. Really nintendo? Anyone who uses those hints deserves to have the game taken away.
I don't care if it's a three year old. Part of the fun of the game is figuring out how to accomplish what needs to be done on your own. Video games taught me to be persistent and keep trying until I got it right. You don't get that same feeling of accomplishment if someone does it for you. Hell, you might as well just buy Super Mario Galaxy 2:the abridged version.
"Bobby Koch you're the most succesful businessman in the world what taught you to never give up " "Video games, not that shit with the signs that tell you how to fucking do it, no the old school way. You messed up, that was game over. You could go cry to mommy or you could try again. Well me? I wanted that fucking star. It was shiny"
That would be like buying a copy of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince back when it came out and having someone tell you Snapes kills Dumbledore and then going on to say that *gasp* Snape was the half blood prince...and telling you every part except that Harry's dad gave Snape a wedgie which honestly who wouldn't? I can imagine kids today, "This is the greatest game ever. All I have to do is sit and watch while other people show me exactly what to do. This teaches me that if I cry enough, people will do everything in life for me. That will definitely come in handy in the workplace"
And nintendo wonders why people think they are for kids? You know what? Mario finally needs to get some from the princess. Yeah I said it.
How many cakes can one man (even a fat italian man) eat? Seriously? No. He is done with cakes. You may say won't the parents of little kids lash out against Nintendo if Mario finally gets what he deserves? No, because even when they were kids he was still only getting cake. It's time.
Also what's with Peach always getting kidnapped? Seriously! Is her security detail worse than the detail for the Kennedy family?
Finally, Toad. Why don't you stop telling my princess is another castle, world, or now...galaxy and be useful. Like bring me a piece of that cake I've eaten twenty times in the span of my gaming career now.
Until next time,
I'm just your friendly neighborhood bloggerman
I don't care if it's a three year old. Part of the fun of the game is figuring out how to accomplish what needs to be done on your own. Video games taught me to be persistent and keep trying until I got it right. You don't get that same feeling of accomplishment if someone does it for you. Hell, you might as well just buy Super Mario Galaxy 2:the abridged version.
"Bobby Koch you're the most succesful businessman in the world what taught you to never give up " "Video games, not that shit with the signs that tell you how to fucking do it, no the old school way. You messed up, that was game over. You could go cry to mommy or you could try again. Well me? I wanted that fucking star. It was shiny"
That would be like buying a copy of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince back when it came out and having someone tell you Snapes kills Dumbledore and then going on to say that *gasp* Snape was the half blood prince...and telling you every part except that Harry's dad gave Snape a wedgie which honestly who wouldn't? I can imagine kids today, "This is the greatest game ever. All I have to do is sit and watch while other people show me exactly what to do. This teaches me that if I cry enough, people will do everything in life for me. That will definitely come in handy in the workplace"
And nintendo wonders why people think they are for kids? You know what? Mario finally needs to get some from the princess. Yeah I said it.
How many cakes can one man (even a fat italian man) eat? Seriously? No. He is done with cakes. You may say won't the parents of little kids lash out against Nintendo if Mario finally gets what he deserves? No, because even when they were kids he was still only getting cake. It's time.
Also what's with Peach always getting kidnapped? Seriously! Is her security detail worse than the detail for the Kennedy family?
Finally, Toad. Why don't you stop telling my princess is another castle, world, or now...galaxy and be useful. Like bring me a piece of that cake I've eaten twenty times in the span of my gaming career now.
Until next time,
I'm just your friendly neighborhood bloggerman
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Boy Story
This father’s day I saw Toy Story 3 with my sister and dad. While I won’t spoil any of it for people, the basic idea behind it is that people grow up and move on. As I sat there with my dad and sister watching the end of a saga that started when I was four, I couldn’t help but have flashbacks to my own childhood.
We all have things we hold onto that remind of us being a kid, whether we openly admit it or not. For some people it may be a stuffed tiger, for others it may be a blanket they carried around everywhere like Linus from the peanut gallery. These things give us comfort when times are rough, and remind of us a time when simple. They remind me of us of a time that our parents took care of everything for us, and made the monsters go away.
Just because we are capable of handling our own boogie men now for the most part doesn’t mean we no longer need our parents. Everyone makes mistakes, and when you really need them parents are there ...sometimes even when you don’t. We move out into the real world, go off to college, find jobs, but we take these things from our childhood with us. Why? Because they remind us that the people who provided them for us are always there with us, and while we may miss them they would want us to do our best.
Personally, the kid who wondered if his toys could talk after he watched the original Toy Story with my parents will always be a part of me. To this day, I still believe the toys come to life when we sleep. Parents, take note. I may seem more grown up, but I’ve just managed to organize my pretend games into something a tad more socially acceptable.
I realize this is just about the sappiest post I’ve ever written, but I’m willing to take that risk. This post goes out to both my parents, whose encouragement of my imagination led to the some of the topics you’ve all enjoyed reading here. I blame all my eccentricities on them, but I also love them for it.
Dad, consider this an extra father’s day present.
Until next time,
I'm just your friendly neighborhood bloggerman
We all have things we hold onto that remind of us being a kid, whether we openly admit it or not. For some people it may be a stuffed tiger, for others it may be a blanket they carried around everywhere like Linus from the peanut gallery. These things give us comfort when times are rough, and remind of us a time when simple. They remind me of us of a time that our parents took care of everything for us, and made the monsters go away.
Just because we are capable of handling our own boogie men now for the most part doesn’t mean we no longer need our parents. Everyone makes mistakes, and when you really need them parents are there ...sometimes even when you don’t. We move out into the real world, go off to college, find jobs, but we take these things from our childhood with us. Why? Because they remind us that the people who provided them for us are always there with us, and while we may miss them they would want us to do our best.
Personally, the kid who wondered if his toys could talk after he watched the original Toy Story with my parents will always be a part of me. To this day, I still believe the toys come to life when we sleep. Parents, take note. I may seem more grown up, but I’ve just managed to organize my pretend games into something a tad more socially acceptable.
I realize this is just about the sappiest post I’ve ever written, but I’m willing to take that risk. This post goes out to both my parents, whose encouragement of my imagination led to the some of the topics you’ve all enjoyed reading here. I blame all my eccentricities on them, but I also love them for it.
Dad, consider this an extra father’s day present.
Until next time,
I'm just your friendly neighborhood bloggerman
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
On display for your viewing pleasure: Foreigners
This post brought you by Naxos, Greece. Famous for it’s Potatoes, Naxos is the stop for potato lovers of all sorts. (Somewhat sadly, I didn’t totally make this up. The guide book goes on and on about Naxos’ Potatoes)
The setting is a European cafe, a place where one stops to get coffee and as my Greek friend so eloquently put “argue over politics”. Suddenly, the pair turns their chair to watch the on coming crowd and stare at them as they walk by. A spectator sport, people watching seems to be much more blatant in Europe than it is America. While turning to watch people is creepy in America, in Europe it is nothing but status quo.
As I walk by these cafes and notice the people watching me as I walk by, I always wonder what they think about me. While I hope they think, “there goes a dignified gentleman with his head held high” they probably think more along the lines of “there goes a young man who slouches, wears stupid slogans that he thinks are witty on his T-shirts, and he is definitely American. No self respecting European man would ever dress like that” That may be a tad extreme( and harsh towards my fashion sense), but one can’t help but feel the silent judgement that is passed as they walk by.
I never know what to do in those situations. Do you simply look away and pretend that you don’t notice their eyes watching you? Do you acknowledge them with a smile, or for the more playful of us a wink even? Is it a cultural difference that makes me more uncomfortable being watched than a European would be?
While none of these people are quite pulling an Edward Cullen ( the term for creepily watching me as I sleep), I still feel a sincere discomfort from being watched. I realize though, I am guilty of it on a much more subtle level. We all are. We all take into account our surroundings and make silent judgements (or not so silent depending upon the person) about the people who are surrounding us. You’d think knowing this, the lack of subtlety wouldn’t bother me but it still does.
I’ve decided the next time someone is so blatant as to turn their chair to see what I am doing as I pass by, I will stop where I am standing and give them something to look at. If they are so curious as to fully turn their chairs to see what I’m doing, why should I be so ungracious as to bore them? I will continue to wear my shirts with the silly slogans. Some Europeans may think of it as me being a dumb American, but maybe my shirts will make one bored Coffee drinker’s day.
Until next time,
I’m just your friendly neighborhood Bloggerman
The setting is a European cafe, a place where one stops to get coffee and as my Greek friend so eloquently put “argue over politics”. Suddenly, the pair turns their chair to watch the on coming crowd and stare at them as they walk by. A spectator sport, people watching seems to be much more blatant in Europe than it is America. While turning to watch people is creepy in America, in Europe it is nothing but status quo.
As I walk by these cafes and notice the people watching me as I walk by, I always wonder what they think about me. While I hope they think, “there goes a dignified gentleman with his head held high” they probably think more along the lines of “there goes a young man who slouches, wears stupid slogans that he thinks are witty on his T-shirts, and he is definitely American. No self respecting European man would ever dress like that” That may be a tad extreme( and harsh towards my fashion sense), but one can’t help but feel the silent judgement that is passed as they walk by.
I never know what to do in those situations. Do you simply look away and pretend that you don’t notice their eyes watching you? Do you acknowledge them with a smile, or for the more playful of us a wink even? Is it a cultural difference that makes me more uncomfortable being watched than a European would be?
While none of these people are quite pulling an Edward Cullen ( the term for creepily watching me as I sleep), I still feel a sincere discomfort from being watched. I realize though, I am guilty of it on a much more subtle level. We all are. We all take into account our surroundings and make silent judgements (or not so silent depending upon the person) about the people who are surrounding us. You’d think knowing this, the lack of subtlety wouldn’t bother me but it still does.
I’ve decided the next time someone is so blatant as to turn their chair to see what I am doing as I pass by, I will stop where I am standing and give them something to look at. If they are so curious as to fully turn their chairs to see what I’m doing, why should I be so ungracious as to bore them? I will continue to wear my shirts with the silly slogans. Some Europeans may think of it as me being a dumb American, but maybe my shirts will make one bored Coffee drinker’s day.
Until next time,
I’m just your friendly neighborhood Bloggerman
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Fast and The Furious: The Streets of Mushroom Kingdom
As I was driving around town the other day stuck behind an old person driving about 10 miles per hour, I couldn’t help but think there must be a better way. My mind suddenly flashed back to the hours upon hours spent playing Mario Kart on my Nintendo 64 with my friends. What if real life drivers had the option to use the items from Mario Kart?
The first item to come to mind was the hated Blue Shell. For those of you that don’t play the game, the Blue Shell is the cheapest item in the game. You use it, and it automatically flies towards the person in first place and hits them. Now, something that stops you from going too fast what does that sound like? You guessed it, the police! Police would ride blue shells that would hit you for pulling too far ahead of the rest of the pack (this is why you should always have someone going faster than you to tail if you’re going to speed).
The second item to come to my mind was the almost as hated Red Shell. The red shell immediately seeks the person in front of you. There are ways to avoid the red shell though, so it’s not quite as cheap as the obnoxious blue one. The red shell could be deployed whenever the driver in front of you was crawling at a speed of 30 mph when it’s a 45 mph zone. Somehow it would make the car magically float behind you instead of making them crash...this is real life and I don’t want to hypothetically kill any fellow drivers.
Anyone who has ever driven on the highway has had the problem of having a truck drive in front of them that is too large to see over or around, especially on narrow roads. Well, worry no more! The lightning bolt would shrink them so that not only could you see over them, but you could pass them very easily too! Just beware the trucker doesn’t hit you with a red shell to reassert their masculinity.
An item I had trouble coming up with a real life use for was the mushroom, as we already have accelerators. However, then I thought of all those old people who just can’t seem to even drive at the speed limit anymore. Grandma/Grandpa will never be slow again if they had a mushroom to use, especially a golden one.
Assuming these items didn’t cause major crashes, I think they could make driving much more efficient. As well as making driving a lot more entertaining, who would ever fall asleep at the wheel again with all this craziness happening around them? I certainly wouldn’t, but I have a feeling I’d end up hating blue shells even more than I do now.
Until next time,
I’m just your friendly neighborhood Bloggerman
The first item to come to mind was the hated Blue Shell. For those of you that don’t play the game, the Blue Shell is the cheapest item in the game. You use it, and it automatically flies towards the person in first place and hits them. Now, something that stops you from going too fast what does that sound like? You guessed it, the police! Police would ride blue shells that would hit you for pulling too far ahead of the rest of the pack (this is why you should always have someone going faster than you to tail if you’re going to speed).
The second item to come to my mind was the almost as hated Red Shell. The red shell immediately seeks the person in front of you. There are ways to avoid the red shell though, so it’s not quite as cheap as the obnoxious blue one. The red shell could be deployed whenever the driver in front of you was crawling at a speed of 30 mph when it’s a 45 mph zone. Somehow it would make the car magically float behind you instead of making them crash...this is real life and I don’t want to hypothetically kill any fellow drivers.
Anyone who has ever driven on the highway has had the problem of having a truck drive in front of them that is too large to see over or around, especially on narrow roads. Well, worry no more! The lightning bolt would shrink them so that not only could you see over them, but you could pass them very easily too! Just beware the trucker doesn’t hit you with a red shell to reassert their masculinity.
An item I had trouble coming up with a real life use for was the mushroom, as we already have accelerators. However, then I thought of all those old people who just can’t seem to even drive at the speed limit anymore. Grandma/Grandpa will never be slow again if they had a mushroom to use, especially a golden one.
Assuming these items didn’t cause major crashes, I think they could make driving much more efficient. As well as making driving a lot more entertaining, who would ever fall asleep at the wheel again with all this craziness happening around them? I certainly wouldn’t, but I have a feeling I’d end up hating blue shells even more than I do now.
Until next time,
I’m just your friendly neighborhood Bloggerman
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
So long and thanks for all the Kibble and Bits
I looooove dogs. Just ask anyone who knows me, I’ve always had dogs in my life. I'm pretty sure before mommy or daddy, one of my first words was Puppy! My laptop background is a picture of my dogs at the dog park because I miss them so much when I’m away from them.
Being such a dog lover, I talk to my dogs A LOT. I found myself wondering when baby talking to my puppy the other day though, what if he could talk back? What would he sound like? Would he have a rich deep voice like Barry White’s? Or sound more like Mickey Mouse? Would he be intelligent sounding or would every word out of his mouth just be “Squirrel!”?
Would my other dog, the female Golden Retriever be a dumb blonde as many suggest she is? I can just imagine her talking to her other doggy friends about how they need to get their nails done, go in for a grooming, and shop for the latest doggy purse accessories (they exist, I know because she had one as a puppy). Would the puppy who is an English Cream Golden Retriever be a prep as everyone suggests he would? Would that mean he buys all his gear from Ambercrombie & Fetch? (I don’t think I made this name up, but maybe I did)
What about us? Would we really feel safe in our own homes if dog could talk? I mean think about all the embarrassing things you do in front of your pet, would you really want them to be gossiping with other pets about the things they see you do? For me, that would mean my dogs gossiping about how badly I dance sometimes when I think no one is watching.
I can only imagine talking to my dog as I sometimes did in high school about whatever social problem I was having at the time, and her saying, “Stop your whining, god you’re so annoying”. Maybe it’s for the best that animals don’t speak. Maybe we love them so much because we have no way of knowing what they truly think about us, and that way we can just say they love us as much as we love them. All I know is when my dogs start speaking, I’ll be needing a paper bag to wear over my head in public.
Until next time,
I’m just your friendly neighborhood Bloggerman
Being such a dog lover, I talk to my dogs A LOT. I found myself wondering when baby talking to my puppy the other day though, what if he could talk back? What would he sound like? Would he have a rich deep voice like Barry White’s? Or sound more like Mickey Mouse? Would he be intelligent sounding or would every word out of his mouth just be “Squirrel!”?
Would my other dog, the female Golden Retriever be a dumb blonde as many suggest she is? I can just imagine her talking to her other doggy friends about how they need to get their nails done, go in for a grooming, and shop for the latest doggy purse accessories (they exist, I know because she had one as a puppy). Would the puppy who is an English Cream Golden Retriever be a prep as everyone suggests he would? Would that mean he buys all his gear from Ambercrombie & Fetch? (I don’t think I made this name up, but maybe I did)
What about us? Would we really feel safe in our own homes if dog could talk? I mean think about all the embarrassing things you do in front of your pet, would you really want them to be gossiping with other pets about the things they see you do? For me, that would mean my dogs gossiping about how badly I dance sometimes when I think no one is watching.
I can only imagine talking to my dog as I sometimes did in high school about whatever social problem I was having at the time, and her saying, “Stop your whining, god you’re so annoying”. Maybe it’s for the best that animals don’t speak. Maybe we love them so much because we have no way of knowing what they truly think about us, and that way we can just say they love us as much as we love them. All I know is when my dogs start speaking, I’ll be needing a paper bag to wear over my head in public.
Until next time,
I’m just your friendly neighborhood Bloggerman
Monday, May 24, 2010
Blockbuster will now be known as "Da Block"
Being home from college and not having much to do, I decided it would be a good idea to hit up my local blockbuster for a movie to watch. I’m aware no one goes to Blockbuster anymore now that NetFlix is around, but the movie I wanted to order wasn’t available for order on IO and I didn’t feel like waiting for Netflix in the mail.
Back in the day when I used to go to Blockbuster on a Friday night, it was filled with friendly families looking for some entertainment for the weekend. That’s not the case anymore. What I ran into can only be described as trash worse than what you see on the Jersey shore. With how spiky their hair was coupled with how many piercings they had, they looked like Sonic the hedgehog gone horribly horribly wrong. I tried to keep it together, just in case they saw the look on my face and decided to give me some holes of my own on my face.
That was when my friend and I exited the building and went round back to where I had parked my car. There were the same people from the store, waiting with their hoods up presumably for us to come out of the store.I rushed my friend into the car not even really waiting for her to get her seatbelt on before getting out of there as fast as I could. Soon after, she asked me if anything had gone down would I have protected her? To which my response was, “Are we looking at the same person here? I mean, I could take a beating to try to buy you time but that’s about it.” I’d love to be able to say I’d go Bruce Lee on their asses, but I know very little self defense and it’s something I need to work on.
It really irked me, and I think what irked me the most is that I remember going into Blockbuster as a kid excited to play the gumball pinball machine for only a quarter, or rent Scooby Doo and the Boo brothers for the millionth time. Sure, I may have persuaded my mom to rent South Park: Bigger Longer and uncut for me at the age of nine or so... if I had to learn my curse words, at least it was from a movie I had rented at my friendly local Blockbuster! My imagery of Blockbuster may be skewed, as I’m sure there were some people renting porn or something of the sort as three year old me eyed a twix bar nearby. That doesn’t change the fact that the woman I found working the register to be incredibly rude, and the crowd I found at the Blockbuster on Friday night to be generally unsettling.
Next time I will just be renting a movie from the safety of my own home like all other normal people. Sorry Blockbuster, as appealing as your gumball pinball machine once was it’s not enough to risk being near Michael Meyers impersonators again. The biggest risk I take ordering from Netflix is the ever deadly computer thumb.
Until next time,
I’m just your friendly neighborhood Bloggerman
Back in the day when I used to go to Blockbuster on a Friday night, it was filled with friendly families looking for some entertainment for the weekend. That’s not the case anymore. What I ran into can only be described as trash worse than what you see on the Jersey shore. With how spiky their hair was coupled with how many piercings they had, they looked like Sonic the hedgehog gone horribly horribly wrong. I tried to keep it together, just in case they saw the look on my face and decided to give me some holes of my own on my face.
That was when my friend and I exited the building and went round back to where I had parked my car. There were the same people from the store, waiting with their hoods up presumably for us to come out of the store.I rushed my friend into the car not even really waiting for her to get her seatbelt on before getting out of there as fast as I could. Soon after, she asked me if anything had gone down would I have protected her? To which my response was, “Are we looking at the same person here? I mean, I could take a beating to try to buy you time but that’s about it.” I’d love to be able to say I’d go Bruce Lee on their asses, but I know very little self defense and it’s something I need to work on.
It really irked me, and I think what irked me the most is that I remember going into Blockbuster as a kid excited to play the gumball pinball machine for only a quarter, or rent Scooby Doo and the Boo brothers for the millionth time. Sure, I may have persuaded my mom to rent South Park: Bigger Longer and uncut for me at the age of nine or so... if I had to learn my curse words, at least it was from a movie I had rented at my friendly local Blockbuster! My imagery of Blockbuster may be skewed, as I’m sure there were some people renting porn or something of the sort as three year old me eyed a twix bar nearby. That doesn’t change the fact that the woman I found working the register to be incredibly rude, and the crowd I found at the Blockbuster on Friday night to be generally unsettling.
Next time I will just be renting a movie from the safety of my own home like all other normal people. Sorry Blockbuster, as appealing as your gumball pinball machine once was it’s not enough to risk being near Michael Meyers impersonators again. The biggest risk I take ordering from Netflix is the ever deadly computer thumb.
Until next time,
I’m just your friendly neighborhood Bloggerman
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