Defenestrate!

The Best Speech Nixon Never Gave

2009-10-01T06:00:00.000-04:00

In the year 1969, the Apollo 11 NASA mission made it to the moon. Richard Nixon, I'm sure, gave a stirring speech to congratulate Neil Armstrong and crew for being the first men on the moon. But Nixon's trusty speechwriter William Safire was prepared for everything. Today we have the speech that Nixon would have given in the event that the astronauts had been stranded on the moon.

It begins with the line "IN EVENT OF MOON DISASTER". I think I need say no more.

LINK IT UP

Not (Quite) Dead

2009-09-29T20:37:00.003-04:00

Hello loyal readers. Or reader. Or whoever it is that comes out to this shady park of the blogosphere. Regardless! One may have noticed that this blog has not been updated for nearly a month. And one may have also noticed that the termination of blog entries neatly coincided with the beginning of my school year.

The fact is, school + debate + editing the newspaper + afterschool orchestras + piano lessons + tennis + college applications makes me one busy person, and I've really not had much time to update this blog.

"But Jon," you say. "Doesn't it take just a few minutes each night to update this godforsaken pile of drivel and stupidity?"

"Well... erm... PUFFINS LOOK LIKE PENGUINS BUT ARE ACTUALLY A SEPARATE SPECIES," shout I as I speed off into the oblivion.

The truth is I've been ignoring my dear old blog, and it has suffered in the meanwhile. And I apolgoize for at least not even making it known that I was on semi-extended hiatus.

So, the current status: I am still on semi-hiatus until my college applications are finished (which will likely be the case by the end of October.) In the meanwhile, I may pop in once a week or so (or not as much).

In the meantime, please enjoy this video regarding the topic of profanity.

Back to School

2009-09-01T22:04:00.005-04:00

Well, so ends the summer. It's been... well, it's been a unique one, I guess. Really busy, but lots of good fun at the beach, with friends, and even with coworkers working on stem cells. I just can't believe how quickly it went by.

So, to cope with the agony of the ending summer and to drown my sorrows in food, I have decided to be the test guinea pig for the KFC Quadruple Down. It's a proposed sandwich for KFC which substitutes two deep-fried chicken breasts for buns. Between those lies another two fried breasts, with bacon, special sauce, Swiss and pepperjack cheese. It's sort of like ordering a quadruple bypass without paying for it. But man would that ever be good.

To KFC: Do it. I dare you.

Happy (not) school year everyone!

Pogo - Alohomora

2009-08-31T09:00:00.002-04:00

About ten minutes ago I found out about an Australian artist named Pogo. He creates electronic and dreamy trip-hop beats to sound clips from popular movies. Which makes it all the more trippy... er.

He's thus far done Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Mary Poppins, and the rest I haven't gotten to watching yet. Below is a track called Alohomora. If you like, follow the link to youtube and check out the rest of the videos from user "Faggotron" (yes, really.)

A Chat with an Afghan

2009-08-27T00:53:00.002-04:00

Back from a week at the beach. Good stuff, very relaxing. Woot woot. Now I'm ready to confront the school year. Sure.

Anyways, you may remember a former post about a service called Omegle. Well, browsing upon that site, I met a very interesting man... who claimed to be Afghani. Now, I can't confirm his claims. But what he said, to me, was really, really cool. There's just something... weirdly interesting about talking about the daily life of someone who's customs and life is so radically different from yours.

The transcript of the conversation can be found here. Check it out.

High Fives are Pretty Great

2009-08-19T18:49:00.004-04:00

Done with my summer internship. No more commuting, yay! Still, I really will miss the people in the office. Nice, good people can be hard to find, and man, did I run into a lot of them.

In other news, high fives are pretty great. Epic street sign from New Haven, CT.

Also, Barney Frank is pretty badass. Well, not really - he kind of sounds like Droopy Dog from Looney Toons, really. Still, at a town hall meeting in Dartmouth, he told it like it was. When confronted with a woman holding a picture of Obama with a Hitler mustache and comparing universal healthcare to a Nazi policy, Frank lashed out with an apt, "on what planet do you spend most of your time?", arguing that talking to her further would be "like trying to argue with a dining room table." Well done, Barney.

A Mathematical Guide for When Zombies Attack

2009-08-18T00:00:00.000-04:00

How this actually got funding (yes, really) is beyond me. It's a mathematical model of what would happen in a theoretical mass zombie outbreak. The recommendation: "We show that only quick, aggressive attacks can stave off the doomsday scenario: the collapse of society as zombies overtake us all."

Czech it.

R.I.P. Benson (1984{ish}-2009)

2009-08-16T19:07:00.006-04:00

On July 29th, Benson, the supposedly most beloved fish in England swam up to his watery maker. He was 25, ish, although I haven't the slightest idea how you measure a fish's age. Normally, this sort of heartbreaking story wouldn't really catch my eye and I'd be completely ignorant and oblivious to it. But this obituary is nothing short of bizarre, if not remarkable. This is a full one-page obituary in this week's The Economist, dedicated to a fish. Written in poetic style.

It's a bit wordy. Read anyway. It's an obituary about a fish.

Hotel Survival with George Egg

2009-08-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

It is impossible to eat in a hotel without being charged $600 bazillion. This is a fact. I mean, I read out the prices next to room service items for fun. Just to demonstrate the absurdity.

The video you are about to see is how to avoid the crazy charges on the road and still eat well, compliments of British comedian George Egg. It is funny in that it is completey absurd, but it actually seems like it could work. Keep this in the back of your mind the next time you visit the Holiday Inn.

Alive in Joburg

2009-08-14T11:18:00.004-04:00

Today marks the opening of District 9 in box offices across America, and from what I've heard, it's getting rave reviews. We may even have a sci-fi classic on our hands. I really want to see it - it looks fantastic.

A little known fact about District 9 is that it all started out as a short film by director Neil Blomkamp in 2005 known as Alive in Joburg (or Johannesburg, whichever it was supposed to be.) It's a six-minute short about a peaceful group of aliens who land in South Africa around 1990, only to be met by xenophobia and intolerance (insert not-so-subtle apartheid reference here.) But this was the project from which the supposed gem that is District 9 stemmed. For all I know, it might even be sort of an extended trailer, four years in advance. Either way, it's a fun, interesting little short.

Google Maps Car = Badass

2009-08-13T10:24:00.004-04:00

The Google Maps van is well known for driving around, well, every street in the United States (and elsewhere) with a giant pole protruding out of its roof with nine cameras simultaneously snapping shots of every road, everywhere. Still, I somewhat underestimated what kinds of roads Google considers to be snappable.

Enter Laguna Seca... a racetrack. Yes, those are Formula One racers. Behind which is the Google Maps van gunning it at some ungodly awesome speed. What an epic ride that must've been.

It's Gone Mainstream Legit. Run.

2009-08-10T13:59:00.002-04:00

Well, it turns out the mainstream media has finally caught on to the ever-growing meme of FAIL. Even after keyboard cat's famous pwning of Stephen Colbert, a real analysis of the phenomenon that has been sweeping America's teens and internet-savvies has never really been published. Until... now.

New York Times: "How Fail Went from Verb to Interjection"

I'll be quivering under my desk while mourning the death of my teenage years. Or at least the originality that came with them.

Halloa

2009-08-09T19:49:00.002-04:00

Halloa, all. If you haven't heard, I've had to scour my blog to delete quite a few innappropriate and outright vulgar comments that my blog has been spammed with for the last couple of days. Not exactly sure who's behind it, but, oh well, no harm done. Either way, comments are now moderated; I need to approve them before they get through. Have no fear of Orwellian censorship; I'm just looking for obvious abuse. Pretty much all comments will be approved within a day of posting, barring unforseen circumstances.

Also, as I recently discovered on the train to and from NYC earlier today, there are like 60x more Spanish speakers traveling to NYC than away from it, or in anywhere else. Fun fact.

This is the Last Birthday Present You'll Ever Need to Get Me

2009-08-06T14:42:00.005-04:00

For your mind's enlightenment and your stomach's greatest yearning, I present... The ChefStack Automatic Pancake Machine. Yes, you heard me correctly. This bad boy churns out delicious, 97% fat-free, all-natural, 4-inch diameter pancakes (only 82.5 calories per) at a rate of 200 flapjacks per hour. In the company's own words, "[It] is a revolution in the making." I couldn't agree more.

No, this is not cold fusion, nor is it the hovercar you've always wanted. But it's pretty damn close. Sure, you might have to pony up $3,500 for this commercial godsend, but... Pancakes! Automatic! Fast! Tasty!

I don't care what anyone says. This is, quite possibly, the greatest invention of the modern era. Or ever. Finally, my noms will be cured.

Depressing Top 10 List

2009-08-05T00:00:00.000-04:00

Link of the day: 10 Mass Extinctions that Would Really Suck

Want more depressing? Iran is ready to build a nuke.

But on a better note, here are 10 Truly Bizarre Scientific Studies.

RNA-Break

2009-08-03T15:07:00.002-04:00

Currently isolating RNA from seven samples of cells that were previously sploded to let their juices flow forth. Tasty stuff. But right now they need to incubate for 15 minutes, leaving me with ample time to do something productive (or unproductive, depending on how cool this blog is.)

So, I'm back from Boston. Tufts, Brandeis, and Harvard all looked really nice; Harvard is just kind of... Harvard, and Tufts had a really beautiful campus and great... well, everything. Brandeis was really nice too; a bit small, and their campus seemed a bit unkempt, but I still feel like I could fit in just fine. On a more realistic view, Brandeis is the only school that might offer me a scholarship. Food for thought, I suppose.

On a separate note; if any of you out there remember, I did a feature post on a site called Omegle a few weeks (months?) back. Random note: It seems to have been flooded with a lot of people looking for something other than innocent conversation. Innocent as their motives might be, the intended topics are not. So just keep in mind - if you plan to look around for the random conversations, you might need to pop into a few chats before you find a keeper. That, and the random Korean and Chinese people who can't speak English. Oh well!

Another random note, and a useful one: If you want to skip the ubiquitously annoying "To leave a voice message... blah blah blah" voicemail intro that takes up much of your valuable time, just press 1-*-# (one-star-pound). Different carriers have different keys to skip the message (little did we all know), and these three cover all major networks (Verizon, AT&T, T-mobile, Sprint). Who knows, you might save a few minutes over time.

Link of the day: First ever PhD in texting. Who knew?

The List

2009-07-31T18:00:00.002-04:00

Every collegebound senior has one at some point. The List. The plethora of colleges that one will grace with an application, praying, quite possibly in vain, that an acceptance letter will come from one or all. This week I've confirmed several entries on mine with visits to Brandeis, Tufts, and Harvard. I'm sure it will metamorphasize quite a bit more befort the apps actually go out, but mine, right now, looks like this...

Brown, UPenn, Harvard, Tufts, Brandeis, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, Lehigh, Penn State Schreyer Honors College. And there's still the possibility that I will visit/add a few more, and possibly eliminate as many as three from the current list (Lehigh, I'm looking at you. And ish Hopkins and Cornell. Not really. At least Lehigh.)

And the craziness continues.

BOSTON BLOG! YEAH!

Taser Taser Taser!

2009-07-28T12:00:00.000-04:00

A small tip for y'all before I leave for Boston tonight: This is want you want for your birthday.

"This" is the TASER X3, which is the most efficient weapon for keeping the "peace" without "lethal" force, by allowing the user to shoot three (yes, three) taser probes in quick succession. Comes complete with laser sight and a "warning arc" to encourage "voluntary compliance".

Basically, now you can tase someone (bro) three times as much. Wicked.

See you Sunday!

Boston Soon

2009-07-27T12:19:00.003-04:00

Leaving for Boston mid-Tuesday to tour some colleges. Harvard, Tufts, and Brandeis, look out! You're about to have your atoms disrupted by a prospective student. Yeah. It's that serious.

Still, the college tours and info sessions and random roaming don't usually last past the early hours of the afternoon. Which means I'll have plenty of time to explore around the city of Bawston. To which I have never traveled. Hopefully they've got some interesting stuff to do: Giant statues of pandas, 6-foot-tall ferris wheels, and as much papaya-babaghanoush flatbread sandwiches as you can eat. Oh, wait, that's that place I was in in my dream last night. No wonder every woman in town looked like a hybrid between Emma Watson and Megan Fox. And all of the men, for some strange reason, looked like Nicholas Sarkozy.

Yeah, hopefully Boston will be more exciting and, er, realistic. Onwards!

This is How Much Fun a Wedding Should Be

2009-07-23T20:23:00.002-04:00

Picked this up from another blog (known as Pleasantries). This video made me smile and laugh and appreciate how cool people are.

This is exactly how fun every wedding should be.

Sufjan Stevens - Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois

2009-07-20T01:00:00.003-04:00

This song (mentioned in the title) is possible one of the more beautiful pieces of music I have ever heard in my life. Sadly, it clocks in at only about two minutes. To me, that makes it all the more miraculous.

It is composed mainly of piano, woodwind, and vocals. The piano melody is... indescribably serene and heart-wrenchingly beautiful. Or so I think, at any rate. Maybe that makes me a pansy. But at least I have good musical taste. In Sufjan Stevens.

The song comes from the album Illinois. It's a great album. You should get it. In the meantime...

Adventureland

2009-07-18T00:00:00.000-04:00

Amidst all the hype about Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, I take a different direction today. I recently saw a movie called Adventureland, you see, and I'm doubting that HP6 will be able to top it. You should see it. Fo serious.

Adventureland, in a way, reminds me of Juno: It's a classic coming-of-age comedy (or so the critics tell me.) The main character, played by Jesse Eisenberg (who has an amazing ability to look exactly like Michael Cera, and act like him but be way cooler) is a recently graduated, somewhat nerdy literature major who for the first time must deal with real life by working at a sub-par carnival called Adventureland. It's about him growing up and facing the real world, as it is, without fanfare or cuddling.

The film blends the sharp sting of reality, juxtaposed against the assumed clear sail to the finish line by the smart and supposedly successful members of society with the awkward stylings of young love, who appears in the form of fellow lead Kristen Stewart.

It's just a good film. It's funny, it's awkward, it's touching, it's sometimes strikingly moving, and may hit close to home. You should watch Adventureland. You won't regret it.

This is a trailer. It doesn't do it half justice.

Album Review: ...And the Ever Expanding Universe

2009-07-15T06:00:00.008-04:00

They say a band often hasn't reached full maturity until its third LP is complete - once the trifecta is finished, they have graduated, and arrived. For some (*Cough* I'm looking at you, Coldplay), the third time is not the charm. For Canadian indie group The Most Serene Republic, the third attempt was somewhat in the middle with ...And the Ever Expanding Universe.

The album can never really seem to define itself. TMSR continues with their classic style of layered indie pop, but they can sometimes get lost in their own sound. Some tracks, such as the breathy, mellow-then-disturbingly-distorted Phi, are somewhat uninspiring in their overthought structure and overstressed looseness. I'm not exactly sure where the band is trying to go on tracks like All of One is the Other, what could be best described as a spacey piano ballad with lots of synth waves, ultimately coming together in a whole bunch of piano trills while lead singer Adrian Jewett warbles out an uninspiring attempt at being inspiring and dramatic. Or maybe they meant to do that, and it just didn't strike me as all that great.

Despite its lack of continuity and sometimes purpose, and despite the occasional pockets of confusion and meh (as I've found on all TMSR records), I still love this record. Perhaps it's just me; I'm listening to it a few times over, trying to see what they're hitting at in some of these tracks. Maybe it's just too indie for me to quite see.

Don't get me wrong; there are some great, great, tracks on this record. The opening track, Bubble Reputation, is stunning, leading in with an epic horn introduction, and then taking the listener on a wild ride of distorted piano and driving guitar... which then slows to a well-executed piano bridge, eventually building to an ending that builds, fades, and finally explodes into a topsy-turvy end. Pristine.

Another favorite is the twinkling gem that is The Old Forever New Things (featured on an earlier blog post.) It is largely a very mellow track, with a breathy vocal duet by singers Adrian Jewett and Emma Ditchburn, with a suave bassline giving the song some groove. Some masterful acoustic guitarmanship, distorted just enough, gives this track a unique feel that you don't often get. The band's neurotic attention to detail leaves the listener satisfied with each jangle of the guitar string and small piano riff.

The band really shows off their brilliance on Patternicity, a six-minute orchestral opus that truly embodies TMSR at their best. It is meticulously scored, and is so perfectly out of place in an indie rock album that it left me with my jaw dropped for the first minute, and grinning from ear to ear by the end. It is not only the audacity of putting such a track on the record that amazes me, but how well it fits with the album. It just works, against all odds, just because it's scored so well, almost a pop-like glance into the world of classical music, complete with swooping violins, chirping woodwinds, and a climactic and satisfying conclusion that still holds you to the last note.

The album has some other nice songs as well, from the driving, synth-heavy, psychadellic Don't Hold Back, Feel a Little Longer to peppy lead single Heavens to Purgatory. A few of these songs pop out, never quite fitting into the jigsaw of the album, and feel a bit lonely juxtaposed against their just-slightly-dissimilar neighbors, but are nonetheless quite enjoyable to listen to (oh no, I ended on a preposition!)

On the whole, ...And the Ever Expanding Universe is about on par with TMSR's last album, Population in maturity. Their sound continues to get better and better, and I really think they did a wonderful job with this one. They just need to put all of their great talent together and churn out an album that flows a bit better. But for all its scattered glory, this album is still likely one of the best indie releases of the year.

No, I don't give numerical ratings.

If you sign up for their newsletter (Army of the Republic), you can listen to a full stream of the album at this link.

Otherwise, ...And the Ever Expanding Universe can be purchased and downloaded from iTunes, GalleryAC, or Amazon.

Insides - Jon Hopkins

2009-07-12T00:00:00.011-04:00

Asked to categorize the music of Jon Hopkins, one might think that his music is electronica. This is certainly the case when considering that his compositions are mainly computer-generated. But it fails to truly capture the depth, breadth, and beauty of his music, in a genre often categorized by peppy dance tunes and techno beats.

Insides is Jon Hopkins' third album, following Contact Note (2004), a somewhat experimental album, and Opalescent (2001), which drew from more ambient origins. It is undoubtedly his most ambitious and deep record yet, as he transcends into bolder and more intimate waters.

Insides really has no genre that it sticks to, but what stands out about all of the tracks is the precision with which they are executed, drawing the listener in with flowing electronic melodies and a rumbling bass that seems crisper than one might find from other artists. The tracks seamlessly flow together, creating a fluid, complete listening experience.

Hopkins goes everywhere, in terms of feeling and genre. He begins the record with The Wider Sun, a rustic, hopeful, and layered violin lament that would go perfect with a sunrise and a crisp morning chill. On the next track, Vessel, he shifts to a much darker and mysterious, sometimes even hurried atmosphere as he pulses bass over a delicate, yet sinister piano melody. Yet later he conjures up an inspiring, driving, and energetic piece in Light Through the Veins, snippets of which can be heard in the intro to Coldplay's Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, in the track Life in Technicolor.

Throughout the album, Hopkins lays down a few delicate piano tracks, showcasing his skill as a master pianist. This can especially be heard on Small Memory and Autumn Hill, which are truly beuatiful, fragile snowflakes that you can't help but admire.

Admittedly, there is dissonance in the record. Some tracks, like Insides and Colour Eye, are really... frankly, creepy. They juxtapose numerous odd sounds that make you feel as if you've been thrown into a bad aural acid trip. It's interesting, absolutely, but after a minute or so one starts to wonder when the order will be restored to the universe. And sure enough, it is, in brilliant fashion.

To quote Bleep.com, '"With Insides, Hopkins has created a symphony that paints in binary; a canvas where bucolic instruments caress the dreamy digital soundscape like never before... " I don't think I could've put it better - Insides is an audacious album that seems much like a work of art in itself. It creates soundscapes that suck the listener in and don't spit them out until the last piano key fades away. It is complete, and like no traditional form of music I've ever heard before.

That said, take a listen.

DOWNLOAD LINK

If you like it, maybe show some support and buy the album on iTunes.

Colours

2009-07-11T00:39:00.002-04:00

Our third of three animations in this brief series of Oggy-cheesiness is a short piece called Colours. It is animated in the same style as the prior two; surreal, with very bright, well, colors. It's fun, it's playful, and it's something you'll be watching for the next two minutes.

ENJOY!

The Test of Doom

2009-07-10T00:38:00.000-04:00

Part 2 of our animation series finds us with an Oggy-cheese animation called the Test of Doom. It's very cute and playful, following the adventures of two more or less amorphous blobs in their quest to... be eternally happy or something. Either way, there's a Test of Doom. And crazy rave music. It made me happy.

2nd LINKY!

Gravity's Just a Theory 2

2009-07-08T00:00:00.000-04:00

Today marks the first in a series of three animations, all by the same guy: A Newgrounds flash artist by the name of Oggy-cheese. Yes, Oggy-cheese. Either way, he's pretty talented, and does a nice job with some colorful, simple animations.

First on the agenda is my personal favorite, an animation called Gravity's Just a Theory 2. Makes no sense, has no plot, and is totally cool. Begin!

LINKY

WoW Freakout

2009-07-07T00:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, World of Warcraft is dangerous, alright? It's addicting. Like, meth addicting. Don't do it. This may save your life one day.

This is a video of a child whose WoW subscription was cancelled without his consent. Note that he has been reduced to a primal state. He appears to be being possessed by evil, Satanic spirits, based on the convulsions and animalistic sounds he is making. Do observe.

See more funny videos and TBT Videos at Today's Big Thing.

Stem Cells: A Primer

2009-07-04T08:00:00.006-04:00

So, if any of you are wondering where I've been wasting away my summer hours (while I'm not blogging), look no further. I'm currently participating in the University of Pennsylvania Institute for Regenerative Medicine summer internship. Translation: I'm working in a stem cell lab at UPenn. It's really cool. My main job: Doing qPCR, or Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction. Basically means amplifying DNA so you can count how much of a gene is being expressed in a sample. Cool beans.

Now, stem cell research is one of the hottest medical fields out there, and it's generated a lot of political backlash as well. Here's a little explanation of what they are, and why it's politically sensitive.

A stem cell is basically a functionless cell that turns into another cell. You're made up of about ten trillion little cells, all of which have a specific function. Stem cells become those cells. You actually have a bunch of stem cells in your body, called adult stem cells, which replentish the cells in your body. They're not as important to research, because they can only become a few specific cell types and aren't very cooperative with scientists.

The cool ones are embryonic stem cells. About 3-5 days after conception, you are a tiny ball of these cells, which eventually become all of the specialized cells that make you you: Heart, lung, eye, spleen, and so forth. Basically, these little guys can become any type of cell, plus they can renew themselves forever. Why is this cool? Because you could theoretically take a bunch of stem cells, say "become heart cells!", and they could become heart cells. Then you could repair damaged hearts from people with heart attacks, or just better study the heart without cutting someone open.

What it means, potentially, is that you could cure heart disease, cure brain diseases like Alzheimer's, diabetes, all those crazy bad things, even repair blindness or spinal cord injuries. Or you could test drugs without having to use human subjects. Point is, the cells are really powerful and could cure lots of diseases.

Problem: Embryonic stem cells, the ones that matter, are only found when you're 3-5 days old. As in, in an embryo. And taking them out to study them kinda kills the embryo. So, a bunch of people have said "You're a-killin' babies!", and thus, we have a problem. Solution: People found a way to develop cells just like embryonic stem cells from normal cells. Without killing babies. Problem solved.

What I'm doing is studying them. It's a really new field, and they're not totally understood. I'm working in a lab that's trying to understand, basically, the way that stem cells turn into other cells, and what makes a stem cell a stem cell. It's really complex, involving a lot of genetics and stuff that's way over my head. I just do a lot of testing.

But, yeah, that's the basics on stem cells. Now you know more about things than you did before. Woo hoo.

Next week: A discussion on ecstasy and its current legality.

Omegle

2009-07-01T00:00:00.001-04:00

Remember chatrooms? Those old, antiquated rooms for a specific topic that you'd log onto from AIM or Yahoo! or whatever your messanger of choice was. I was never a big fan - they all seemed to be completely pointless to me, really.

Now, here to redefine the meaning of "procrastination" and "pointless" is Omegle. It takes the concept of the chatroom and the extends it further.

It's a one-on-one conversation between you and a complete stranger. Total anonymity, no preconceived topics. Basically, it can either be very, very boring, or very interesting. Might as well check it out.

Sort of reminds me of that scene in Fight Club where the narrator meets Tyler Derden on a plane. Except, more often than not, Tyler screams "COCKS" and jumps out the window. (Paraphrased from xkcd, by the way.)

Blatantly obvious link to Omegle.

Bono's Rendition of I Am the Walrus

2009-06-29T00:00:00.000-04:00

Recently watched the movie Across the Universe for the first time; it's basically a compliation of Beatles songs sung by actors, weaved into a complex and moving story that combines the lives and stories of a multitude of characters; it's really very good.

Perhaps the best part, in my opinion, is when the characters visit an NYC nightclub, and they are entertained by none other than Bono, who plays some crazy (and likely LSD-infused) doctor with a cowboy hat and a serious moustache. Who then sings I Am the Walrus. It's really quite trippy, but pretty sweet.

The Old Forever New Things

2009-06-27T23:57:00.000-04:00

Three minute music video for your viewing pleasure of The Old Forever New Things, by The Most Serene Republic. It's fan-made, but quite good. The album it comes from, ...And the Ever Expanding Universe, isn't due for release until July 14th. Enjoy with caution.

Nightly Musings

2009-06-23T23:32:00.003-04:00

Just watched the movie Elizabethtown. One of the leads, played by Kirsten Dunst, is possibly the embodiment of my dream girlfriend, the one who you always wish you could meet and likely never will. You can talk to her about anything and count on her to tell it straight, talk to her for hours and hours on the phone without any pause in conversation. She is insightful and witty and fun. She has great taste in music; in fact, she'll make you a mix CD on demand and you will be blown away. She will do quirky, amazing things. (Like organize a 42-hour road trip, turn by turn, with matching music, including philosophical musings and such.) And she's pretty, but by that point, who cares?

The weird thing is that she reminds me of a cross between two girls I've met in my life, both of whom just couldn't quite be that full person. One of them was pretty close, but I only knew her for a week and then never saw her again, and then quickly found out that she wasn't who I thought she was. The other had other good elements to her, but I never really bonded with her.

I want to have an endless conversation right now, talk until the sun comes up. I want someone who will know me, or discover me, and listen to me spill my thoughts about everything while she does the same, complete with interesting remarks and understanding. I want someone who will make me want to see them in the morning, and drive hours and hours to see them.

Pause - my sister has been keeping my family awake with her talking on the phone, and screamed, and my mom came in to put a stop to it.

Unpause. I wish this person would come around. Someone who I'd meet, share a moment with, and miss when they're gone like a part of me had been taken away. I've felt that way once before. Turns out I was wrong. But that's what it should feel like.

Is that person out there? Is this wonderful mystery girl a fantasy conjured up in the movies, always just beyond my reach, never real? I know perfection isn't realistic, but I almost feel as if it's impossible to even get close.

I've told myself that the perfect girl is pretty, smart, witty, understanding, has a great taste in music, and... something. But there are a lot of people that exist without that extra something. And it's that extra intangible that makes all the difference. I just hope there really is someone out there, who I'll meet. I'm betting on it; otherwise I'll justbe searching forever.

Your Daily Dose of Insanity

2009-06-23T03:00:00.000-04:00

It's time for you to try Powerthirst: The Energy Drink for People Who Need Gratuitous Amounts of Energy.

Oh and if you liked that I suggest you look at Powerthirst 2: Re-Domination http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-3qncy5Qfk

An Abstruse Glut of Esoteric Vernacular

2009-06-21T00:00:00.004-04:00

If you ever read the New York Times, you might notice that... well, you occasionally can't understand what they're saying. The Times apparently prides itself on using a lot of 25-cent words, to the point where they send countless readers rushing to the dictionary in order to figure out what the hell is going on.

As it turns out, the Times takes data on which words are most commonly looked up. #1 is sui generis, from the Latin essentially meaning "unique", in a legal sense. It's followed by solipsistic (pertaining to the philosophical idea that "My mind is the only thing that I know exists."), louche (of questionable taste or morality), laconic (ironically meaning concise), and saturnine (bitter or scornful).

I suggest you check out this interesting article to get the full gist of it - they've compiled a list of the 50 most commonly researched words from the Times as well as some nice commentary. Check it out, and expand your vocabulary. Don't worry, it's good for your mind. And tasty too.

NPR Exclusive: Moby's Wait for Me

2009-06-18T00:00:00.002-04:00

Back in April, I gave a blurb about a new song by Moby called Shot in the Back of the Head, the first single from his forthcoming album Wait for Me. The album itself is not due out until June 30, but NPR has graciously made the entire album available, track by track, as part of its First Listen series.

NPR's Bob Boilen describes it like this: "Moby has just made his best record in 10 years — at least I think so. The new record by the DJ, singer, bassist, keyboardist, guitarist and all-around renaissance man, Wait for Me, is filled with beauty, sadness and celebration."

Truth be told, I can't help but agree - Wait for Me is an emotionally raw yet filling album, which draws you in with the pure serenity of opening track Division and cycles forward into the aurally complete and sometimes the raw and even avant-garde. The track Stock Radio is 45 seconds of recording an old radio put through some effect pedals. All in all, it's an album that needs to be listened to all the way through, and it is a truly moving experience from start to finish. If you're willing to go with something a little new, a little more electronic/synthy and outside the realm of popular guitar/bass/drums, you need to hear this.

The album can be found at this link. You can start listening to the first track and just click "Add to Playlist" on each track until you have a full album going, track by track.

Wait for Me will be released on June 30 (my birthday).

Coup d'Ahmadinejad

2009-06-16T16:16:00.004-04:00

By now, many of you are likely aware of the seriously disturbing events that are going on in Iran as we speak. It's really quite horrible how oppressive this current regime has proved itself to be, and I sincerely hope that the opposition's efforts come to be realized without any further bloodshed.

For those of you who aren't aware, here's a basic summary: Iran recently had a presidential election, the top two candidates for which were the incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the reformist challenger Mir-Hossein Mousavi. Ahmadinejad won by a huge margin, and Mousavi called foul, declaring that he had truly won. All the evidence points to extensive vote-rigging, and it seems as if the current Ahmadinejad regime has seized power in a coup d'etat backed by Supreme Ruler Ayatollah Khomeini.

A few key highlights...

Government has clamped down on the media, blocking Youtube, Facebook, Gmail, and opposition websites. All SMS (text) service in Tehran has been cut, as well as most phone lines in general, and most internet access. Pro-government militias have even destroyed computers.
The government has also declared all foreign press coverage illegal, and is expelling all non-state run press, even seizing cameras.
The people have spent days demonstrating in support of Mousavi and against Ahmadinejad, often coming out in hundreds of thousands if not millions at a time. The protests are the biggest seen since the Iranian Revolution of 1979 when they abolished their monarchy.
Government police and pro-government militias have been very violent, issuing beatings, tear gas, and pepper spray to random Mousavi supporters, even to the point of death. There are reports of as many as eight killed in shootings.
Through it all, Ahmadinejad continues to claim victory, and the Supreme Leader has mostly given support, though is now demanding a recount, which most people consider a sham.

This is big. Really big. Like, one of the most significant political happenings in the Middle East in 30 years. This essentially represents the voice of the people and hope for democracy against the current, oppressive and isolationist regime. Iran is a big player in the Middle East, controlling much of its oil and directly financing and negotiating with terrorist organizations. Not to mention the whole nuclear thing going on.

You can get the basic gist of it on the major news networks - CNN, New York Times and the like, but I've been following this one a lot through the social media: Blogs and Twitter. Still, BBC News has been exceptionally good, as has a good New York Times blog.

If you want to follow this historic happening, I suggest you look at a few of the following links:

Huffington Post Liveblog - This is the blog that I've been following for all of my news updates. Great, more than hourly coverage, with integrated video and stories from the people.

The Daily Dish: The Atlantic - Really great blog from Andrew Sullivan of The Atlantic magazine, seems to be updated nearly every ten minutes with great features. Highly suggested.

Boston.com Photoblog - A great view of the protests, with large, high-definition photos.

George H. Bush is the Man

2009-06-16T00:00:00.003-04:00

George W. Bush has garnered a smidge of criticism over hte past eight years for... well, various reasons. Consequently, one could say he isn't very... well-liked, shall we say.

His father, on the other hand, is a badass. He went skydiving for his 85th birthday. Yes, his 85th birthday.

Raw video from the AP:

Terminus

2009-06-14T01:00:00.000-04:00

Yet another short film for y'all today, although this time, it's only 8 minutes. This one, directed by Trevor Cawood, is called Terminus. It chronicles the story of a man who is constantly stalked by a large concrete, well, block-thing. It's a bit odd, very surreal, and surprisingly dark. The net effect is a piece that is, on the whole, pretty creepy. Like Tempbot before it, it has some really nice special effects, and is definitely worth the watch.

Author's description:

After inadvertently offending a strange entity that accosts him on his way to work, a 1970s businessman quickly finds himself in the midst if a bizarre predicament. What follows is a rapid descent into madness, a journey both eerie and darkly humorous. The exact nature of the businessman’s tormentor is purposefully ambiguous, lending itself to a variety of interpretations.

TERMINUS

Haemolacria - Your New Favorite Word of the Day

2009-06-13T00:00:00.001-04:00

Stand aside, louche (definition: of questionable taste or morality), because your title as interesting word of the day has come to an end, to be replaced by a more medical, pedantic, and overall awesome word:

Haemolacria - (n.) a physical condition whereby a person produces tears which are composed of blood.

Translation: Now you have a fancy way of saying "MY EYES ARE BLEEDING !!1!11!"

Tempbot

2009-06-10T06:00:00.003-04:00

I've stumbled across a short (15 minute) film called Tempbot, which I found myself very moved by. The plot is a bit odd - it's about a robot that works as a temporary worker in some company, and it describes his life and his forays into the emotions that robots simply can't seem to understand. To use the description from director Neill Blommkamp,

Tempbot is an experimental robot, designed to perform ordinary office jobs (but with an efficiency inaccessible for men) and to act as well as a normal human beings, including the way he relates with the opposite sex. Obviously, things will go very bad...

The CG effects for the robot itself are pretty stunning, and I found it to be very moving. The end left me very sad. Really worth the watch, I think.

TEMPBOT

Woot! - A New Way to Shop

2009-06-07T21:34:00.004-04:00

Online shopping is pretty sweet. No longer is one tethered to the individual store - no longer must one burn countless gallons of precious fossil fuels, slowing toasting the Earth to a crispy golden brown, finding items one at a time from the endless shelves of this store and that store, and wasting valuable minutes and hours of his life. One need only type in what he or she want, and bam, there it is! Sure, it's an extra $3 for shipping, but you probably would pay that much in gas anyway. And man is it convenient.

Online marketplaces (especially Amazon, in my opinion) have changed the way we shop. And it rocks now. Wal-Mart, eat your heart out. If you ask me, Amazon.com is the pinnacle of online shopping: They sell virtually everything, and almost always at the lowest price. Ever. It's everything, all in the same place.

Woot!, on the other hand, is quite different. Imagine Amazon, except with one item on sale at a time. And every day, that item changed, completely sold out. That's Woot! - a bargain-basement site selling an item a day. It's really pretty cool - every day a new discounted item is posted, ranging from electronic chess sets to laptop computers to whatever you could possibly think of - and they're sometimes pretty quirky.

Woot!'s slogan is "One Day, One Deal", and it perfectly reflects their sales model. They also run Shirt Woot!, which sells a unique t-shirt design each day (at only $10, I've bought three from them, personally, all of which are quite satisfying), and Wine Woot!, which sells two different types of wine per week.

All in all, it's a cool site to keep on your favorites list - check in every day, and see if they've got something you might want. It's all discounted, so you're guaranteed to get it at a good price.

So check it out. Woot!

You can visit Woot! at this convenient link.

Despicable

2009-06-05T20:21:00.002-04:00

I have to say, I always knew that there were some really crazy, scary people out there. But I never quite realized to what extent until now.

Coming back from a tennis team banquet today, I found a green pickup truck tailgating me and honking furiously while I ambled along at the posted speed limit of 25mpg. It was a do not pass zone and there was nowhere for me to turn onto for about half a mile. At a red light, the guy passes me, stops in front of me, gets out of his car, and comes over to me. He then proceeds to start screaming and cursing at me at the top of his lungs, screaming "do you know how to f***ing drive" and going on about the "piece of s***" my dad bought me.

I figured it was best to be passive, let him scream himself out, and leave. I was afraid if I didn't roll down the window, he'd damage my parents' car. Luckily, I was right; he screamed and ran off as soon as there was a green light.

I know he's a stupid guy, but my God, I was seriously scared that he was going to do something. And what could I have done? I was strapped into a seatbelt, no one around.

I guess there are just some really scary people out there... it's best to avoid them at all costs; they obviously can't be dealt with rationally. Just watch out for yourselves, alright? Because the world really is full of dangerous people.

Spongebob Waxes Philosphical

2009-06-03T06:00:00.002-04:00

Trawling around the interwebz, I happend to stumble across a fairly interesting article in The Atlantic regarding Spongebob Squarepants, of all things. How could such a thing be more than a generic praising review?, asks the audience.

Well, it's a bit... philosophical. It's actually a fairly in-depth analysis of the meaning behind the show, analyzing both the characters and the motivation behind them. It's a bit... didactic at times, almost appearing as if the article is trying to seem more sophisticated than it is, to the point where it almost sounds like a snooty New Englander trying to make more out of something than it is. Nonetheless, it's an interesting read on a show that I've been watching since I was a wee lad, and I think it's worth a look.

In addition, if you're feeling bold, check out the movie link at the top left of the article; it, too, has a few interesting thoughts.

So, without further ado: THE ARTICLE THAT I JUST SPENT THE LAST THREE PARAGRAPHS TALKING ABOUT

Or, how I learned to overanalyze Spongebob.

1901 - Phoenix

2009-06-01T17:22:00.002-04:00

Got a pretty psychadellic music video for y'all today - it's 1901, by Phoenix. It's pretty poppy, with a nice indie rock feel to it. Very foot-tapping material. Got some interesting, almost retro-ey video effects. I'm more taken with the song at the moment, but we'll see what you think.

Pokemon

2009-05-27T18:03:00.001-04:00

Pokemon the musical may have been the greatest idea ever concocted. No, seriously. 25 (ish) minutes of pure mayhem and hilarity, including some extreme musical performances (some nice guitar solos, piano solos, and trombone solos.) Team Rocket, the theme song, and pikachu love! ^^ Oh, and surprise appearance by the Blues Brothers.

That will be all.

xkcd

2009-05-22T06:00:00.001-04:00

I've always been a fan of some good humor and wit. There are a lot of ways to get your funnies out on the interwebz: Viral videos on Youtube and such, written gags or pranks, funny pictures (like LOLCats), etc. etc. One of my favorites has been the webcomic - the free comic book, available with a new issue every few days, all for your viewing enjoyment. I've taken a liking to a few over the years - Ctrl+Alt+Delete and Penny Arcade, to name a few. However, one has really captured my attentioned, called xkcd.

xkcd is not your traditional, stupid humor. Sometimes the comics aren't even funny at all. When they are, it's more than likely that they have geeky humor, obscure references, and a bit of insanity. I'm not sure what it is about xkcd that draws me in - it's constant use of geekery (I feel somewhat better to see that there

are people that are far nerdier than I, with constant references to networking, computers, and math in the comics), its sometimes emotional comics, or even its liberal use of craziness. Either way, it's just plain funny.

To show a couple of my favorite comics... (Click to see fullsize)
From the left...

The most efficient method of making hash browns.
Hehe, LHC jokes. I fail.
Realy cool: The universe on a logarithmic scale. Note Snoop Dogg hanging around, and the cat being dropped off the top of the observable universe.

Oh, right. LINKY!

Oh, by the way, I'll be in Albany at the National Catholic Forensics League Grand National tournament until mid-Monday. No updates 'til then. Just keep yourself occupied by pressing the "random" button on xkcd. Yay!

The Origins of Fail

2009-05-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

A new favorite series of mine called "Know Your Meme" has recently produced an explanation of the term "Fail". It incorporates fail, epic fail, win, owned, and pwnd, and the origins and explanations of them. It is not only funny, but witty and informative. Thus, Moses orders you to watch.

Motherlover

2009-05-17T03:00:00.000-04:00

Well, Mother's Day is a week gone. Ever wonder what the perfect gift would be for your mother? Apparently, Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake are back (sans box) to explain to us just how to give a little something special to the women we love the most.

WARNING: Not for small children, people with heart conditions, or austere parents/people. Actually, just watch it if you liked Dick in a Box. (Also warning: Also full of excessive expletives.)

Obama the Comedian

2009-05-13T06:00:00.001-04:00

Barack Obama is many things. President of the United States. Devoted husband and father. Face of the American people. Kenyan-Hawaiin. But, apparently, he has been hiding a hidden skill from us throughout this long journey we've taken with this whitest of black men: a knack for snappy one-liners and a post-politics comedy career.

A few nights ago, Barack Obama brought the house down at the White House Correspondants Dinner. Below is a video. WARNING: 17 minutes long, but full of suprisingly funny political humor.

Don't worry, you can laugh. The Secret Service have cleared this one.

Music Overload

2009-05-10T14:08:00.003-04:00

It's been a study-filled weekend. Granted, it's only been for AP Chemistry, but there's been plenty of studying involved. And there's plenty more to come. Still, when I've had some free time, I've been trawling around the intertubes, looking for fresh new tunes to grace my music library. I've come across a lot of interesting-sounding stuff, from a lot of different genres, and I'm really wondering when (or if) I'll have the time to listen to it.

Among the artists accumulated are indie bands Miracle Fortress and Bullets in Madison, electro-pop group Röyksopp, a bizarre sound-sampling band called The Books, and a ton of electro-techno-trance, featuring such artists as Armin van Buuren, Darude, ATB, Infected Mushroom, and Deadmau5. Oh, and some ambient electronic from The Future Sound of London and Biosphere.

I have no idea what to do with this music, but it all sounds really good. It's almost burden-like; it feels like I have an obligation to listen to it all. But I have no idea when I'll have the time to truly appreciated. Is music best appreciated in small chunks, so that each can be savored over and over again? Or is it alright to acquire it en masse, possibly missing some songs here or there? I'll make a decision on that one when I finally get to listening to it all.

English Rave

2009-05-08T16:37:00.003-04:00

Had an 8-minute rave today in English class. As in, I brought in a speaker and played Sandstorm by Darude. Totally worth it - school's really heating up since we're in the midst of APs, and a little relaxation and insanity helps relax the tension a bit.

Still, upcoming AP exams (Chem, Microeconomics, Language & Comp) make for exhaustion slash lack of sleep. Granted, I really only need to study for chem, but it sort of takes precedence over everything else. My life = Fail.

Here's to a 5. And random dance parties.

Best Fight of the Year

2009-05-06T18:12:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone. I am now back from the debate Tournament of Champions in Kentucky and am now immersed in the wonderful world of AP exams. Exhaustion is beginning to set it. Still, I made semis (as in, top 24 in my event in the nation), so I'm quite pleased.

I'll be studying my face off for a while in preparing for APs, so in the meantime, enjoy the Best Fight of the Year, starring Andy Samberg and Will Arnett.

Röyksopp - Happy Up Here

2009-04-30T15:50:00.000-04:00

Today we find ourselves with an indie electro-pop (or at least that's how I'd describe it) music video from Norwegion electronic duo Röyksopp. No, I do not know how to pronounce them, and yes, I did just say Norwegion electronic. That's pretty cool in itself. The song is called Happy Up Here, from the album Junior.

Anyways, this music video is pretty cool: It's a jammy little piece with a lot of synth effects, which does have a pretty upbeat feel to it. More importantly, the music video involves a real life game of SPACE INVADERS. Cool has just been redefined.

Shazam!

Anyways, I'm leaving for the National High School Debate Tournament of Champions in Lexington, KY tomorrow morning. There I will be debating with some of the top debaters in the U.S. It's gonna be kraaazzzyyyyy. That said, you likely won't hear from me for nearly a week. So I suggest playing this video at least six times just to amuse yourself.

Or just go watch Chuck.

Craaazzaaaaay

2009-04-28T06:00:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, there are a few days that, strung together, make you realize that your life is a little crazy. Not necessarily out of control, just busy or eventful, or... whatever. And it's pretty cool when you get through all of it.

Saturday: Got my license... and broke up with my girlfriend. (V_V) Then hosted family friends for dinner four minutes later. Yay.

Sunday: Did schoolwork. All day.

Monday: Wake up early to get bloodwork. Go into school. Leave school early for a tennis match. Leave tennis match early to go back to school. Change into nice clothes. Go to National Honor Society Induction. Come home at ungodly late hour to eat dinner and do homework.

And there's plenty more, culminating in my eventual departure for the forensics Tournament of Champions in Kentucky.

And yet, I feel oddly satisfied by the fact that I survived it all and can totally handle it. I juggle this, I juggle that, and I walk a tightrope to keep it all in balance. But at the end of the day, I like it. I wonder if I'm the only one that feels that way about their life...

Shot in the Back of the Head - Moby

2009-04-25T10:09:00.003-04:00

Today we find ourselves with a lyricless song by electronica artist Moby (you might know him by the famous song Porcelain, or Extreme Ways, the theme to the Bourne movie series) called Shot in the Back of the Head, a preview of his new album Wait for Me (out June 30). I've gotten really into over the past few days. It's got an almost ambient feel to it, but it's much deeper, and frankly a good bit more melancholy and moving. It takes pulsing distortion combined with a few synthesizers and builds over three minutes, eventually reaching a climax, and quickly fading. It's really nice.

Also the music video is sort of weird. A bit trippy.

Heavens to Purgatory

2009-04-23T06:00:00.004-04:00

Recently, I posted a review of one of my favorite bands, The Most Serene Republic. Their last album, Population, was released in 2007. As of Monday, TMSR has announced a new album, called ...And the Ever Expanding Universe, due for release on July 14th.

Along with this (at least in my own opinion) joyous news has come a free download of the album's second track, called Heavens to Purgatory. It's a little bit more... organic than their earlier stuff, but still contains the depth that I have come to love from this band. It's actually a bit heavier in the bass range, giving it a more dancy feel, which I think I like. Plus it clocks in at under three minutes, a short little twinkling gem.

Indulge yourself.

Heavens to Purgatory (mp3)

Pokerap

2009-04-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

Well, by now, hopefully some (or all) of you have seen the umu-infested Charlie the Unicorn 3. Yes, it is quite funny. However, didn't that fish-themed rap at the end sound vaguely familiar? Almost like you had heard the tune before, but you couldn't quite put a finger on it..

Well, that's because it was blatantly stolen from the greatest song of all time, the POKERAP.

Check it, yo.

Grab Onto Our Tongues!

2009-04-16T06:00:00.000-04:00

For those of you unfamiliar with the famous Charlie the Unicorn series... well, it looks like you have some catching up to do. For the rest of the population who hasn't been hiding under a rock for the past several years, Charlie the Unicorn 3 is here. And oh my is it maaaaaggggiiiiicaaaaal.

Just remember: THe DOOR can see into your SOUL.

The Credit Crisis, Explained and Animated

2009-04-12T11:26:00.003-04:00

The credit crisis is confusing. That's just part of the nature of it. Not many people really understand what's causing our economy to contract and how this all got started, beyond the general notion of "overwhelming greed" and some terms like "subprime mortgages" and "credit default swaps".

I've stumbled across an 11-minute animation that actually explains it all pretty well - I actually feel like I understand things a bit better. It's a bit dry, but overall fairly entertaining in its presentation. If you have ten minutes and an open mind, I suggest you watch.

ACTIVATE SPRING BREAK

2009-04-08T10:56:00.002-04:00

Well, spring is finally upon us (in its wonderful 40s and windy state... *twitch*) and the lucky denizens of public schools all over the country are relaxing for a few days of well-deserved rest! Well, sort of. My school gives a total of four days off this year; longer than the usual three. Yes, it's pitiful compared to other places. I know.

Still, this year's spring break feels a bit different than those of past years. Instead of hanging with friends and overall chillin', I find that nearly all of my friends are now on week-long college tours, while I am currently staying at home, and will be celebrating Passover with relatives. Still: In the midst of all this, I find myself covered in homework, studying frantically for AP exams, and also touring Brown and possibly Yale.

What ever happened to dreamy, carefree spring breaks? Of warm days outside, laughing with friends? Of not caring about school for the duration, until it started back up? Graduating from childhood, apparently, is not all fun and games.

Mix CDs

2009-04-04T21:05:00.001-04:00

A friend of mine recently gave me a very impressive mix CD... 19 tracks, beautifully mixed, all new stuff from indie bands I'd never even heard of before. And man am I impressed.

So, although I am still in the process of listening to it as we speak, I'm mixing back. That is, making one for said friend. It's really fun, actually, giving someone else a taste of, well, your tastes.

Homework: Make a mix CD for someone.

Cow

2009-04-01T17:30:00.002-04:00

Spent the day walking around with a cow on my head. A stuffed cow, named Cow, who I have recently become very attracted to. I luffles him ^^

It's very interesting the reaction that you get from other people when there's something significantly odd about your appearance. Upon walking out of my microeconomics classroom I heard someone mutter, "Does that guy have a cow on his head?" followed by a loud hoot of "How now, brown cow?" It was actually pretty funny.

Seriously, it is very amusing to watch a dozen people do a double take in the span of a minute or so.

Plus, a dialogue between my orchestra teacher and myself:

Him: "What's that on your head, Jon?"

Me: "A cow."

Him: "Oh."

And he blinked and continued going on with the business of collecting peer coaching forms, to the amusement and slight confusion of the orchestra.

Back From States

2009-03-29T12:24:00.001-04:00

Just returned from the Pennsylvania High School Speech League State Championship (or PHSSLs). It was a pretty fun trip, filled with cows and raves, and in the end, I won Superior Speaker for Student Congress. (Another way of saying 2nd place.) Frankly, I would've gotten 1st if the voting hadn't been purely student vote, but... Not complaining. ^^

And sleeping for 15 hours when you are exhausted is amazing. AMAZING.

Hibachi Roxxorz ma Soxxorzz

2009-03-22T12:48:00.002-04:00

Just putting this out there: teppanyaki-style (or hibachi) cooking is possibly the greatest culinary innovation since that of the technique of frying or the spork. Or possibly just the greatest ever.

Having chefs with extraordinary knife schools and good stand-up skills throw shrimp into your mouth and cook you food so delicious you never ever want to leave your seat is an experience that everyone should experience at least once, if not sixty times during their lifetime.

Also helps when you're surrounded with a bunch of good friends to laugh it up, have fun, and make chopstick mustaches.

Friends + Food = Best

Happy Spring

2009-03-20T19:30:00.003-04:00

Happy first day of spring, everyone. We have finally finished with the bitter cold, snow, wind, and blehhh of winter, to be replaced by warmth, blooming flowers, and the prospect of release from school. Naturally, I thought today would be a nice, warm day for a good tennis match, being spring and all...

At 6:20 this morning, I stepped outside to snowflakes the size of nickels. The forecast said today would be a little cloudy, but sunny later and a high of 48. No mention of snow. None.

It was one of the more "WTF" moments of my life.

Happy spring.

Word of the Day: Verisimilitude

2009-03-18T06:00:00.000-04:00

Today I find myself in the role of English teacher, offering a little tidbit of knowledge on the English language

Verisimilitude: (n.) the appearance of truth; the quality of seeming to be true

I was reading a Joan Didion essay and the word popped up, and I decided to assuage my curiosity by looking up the definition. I don't really know how it relates to anything (although one could say that a statement could exhibit verisimilitude if they were being specious or sophistic) Just thought it would be interesting.

On another note, my entries will be fewer and further between for the next month or so: I have made my school's varsity tennis team, and we have approximately 25 matches over the next 40 days. That equates to about 4 matches per 5 weekdays, plus practices. My earliest arrival will be at 6pm, often later, and then I get to deal with 3 AP courses worth of homework, dinner, and various other responsibilities. Although this will still periodically be updated.

Band Review: The Most Serene Republic

2009-03-13T06:00:00.001-04:00

You last heard me talking about a recent favorite band of mine known as Menomena. Today I discuss one of my favorite bands of all-time, the Ontario-based indie rock band known as The Most Serene Republic (TMSR).

TMSR is not your average, everyday indie group. (Although, there's really nowhere near an "average" indie group.) Their instrumentation is particularly unique, featuring violin, EBow, trombone (and other brass), and xylophones in addition to the classic piano/guitar/bass/drum orchestration. They are a quirky, hyper-educated bunch, with song titles such as 'Solipsism Millionaires' and 'The Protagonist Suddenly Realizes What He Must Do in the Middle of Downtown Traffic' towering over their repetoire, sporting lyrics like "This deducer of lives is not a being, but profused meaning" and "Purpose: What a selfish orangutang; progress has now been changed, nature is lost."

What gets me most of all about TMSR, though, is the depth of their sound. With layer upon layer of floating synths, twinkling xylophones, guitars, pianos, and drums, all topped with the vocal tradeoff and duets of lead singers Adrian Jewett and Emma Ditchburn, The Most Serene Republic create full, complete sound that I've rarely, if ever, heard from any other band. As their website puts it: "At the rate they’re going, whether they mean to or not, the Most Serene Republic will alter the way in which people appreciate rock music"

Here are a couple of tracks that I've particularly fallen in love with:

The Men Who Live Upstairs

Fading in from some random distortion, the listener is led in with a calm acoustic guitar, soon overshadowed by an elegant piano riff and a vocal duet, pondering (in complex language), the actions of the "men who live upstairs" and the influence food has on our behavior. It soon explodes into a satisfying chorus of crashing drums, guitar, piano, and a singing violin. A real gem from their album Population.

(Also, video can be found here.)

Present of Future End

Begining with an acoustic prelude to the main theme, this track is fuelled by a driving, up-and-down guitar riff, some crashing drums, and a full brass horn section to back. Its intensity is constantly changes, easing off to allow for some odd lyrical prominence, talking of the futility of emotions and the "solving" of human beings by computers. It continually builds, pulling out all of the musical talents of the band: sparkling piano melodies, rocking guitars, vocal dualism, and energy in a song the likes of which I haven't often heard. It all culminates in a climaxing conclusion that will leave you a bit confused, yet quite satisfied. Bats cleanup on Population.

Anhoi Polloi

A somewhat experimental track from their EP Phages, this song starts with a complex drumbeat and violins with sudden, abrupt eigth notes, Anhoi Polloi suddenly explodes into an energetic guitar riff, easing off for the crooning of the two main singers: "I see real as an aging face, with lines of time put right in place." In many ways, this track reminds me of Present of Future End: A big guitar riff trading with vocals, and ending with some big brass covering the main theme. Still a really nice piece. (This one's in .m4a, off of iTunes.)

Content Was Always My Favorite Colour

The second track off of their debut album Underwater Cinematographer, I fell in love with this track due to its complex structure that seems to be ever-evolving. Jumping right off with the high tenor of Adrian Jewett singing "my world is firmly compressed into the pocket of your front breast" over a buzzing synthesizer, after about a minute, the track devolves into a repetitive vocal cadence over handclaps with some added synth. Suddenly, the track changes direction, completely cutting for a moment before introducing a fast, warm acoustic guitar, soon aided by a crazy xylophone and "la la"'s galore. It continues on that note for a while, eventually devolving into the same buzzing synthesizer and a piano drifting out to the sound of Jewett's pleasing vocals singing "you're what I want".

The Most Serene Republic have released two albums to date: Underwater Cinematographer and Population, in addition to an EP entitled Phages.

An album may be coming up in the future: Stay tuned!

Menomena (No, Sadly, not Sesame Street-related)

2009-03-08T08:00:00.003-04:00

Among my current musical preferences at the moment is a band I recently discovered called Menomena. There are two main reasons that I like this band. The first is there name, which evokes vivid memories of a certain Sesame Street skit... Specifically this one:

In addition, their somewhat unique, indie sound (classified by Wikipedia as "experimental rock") is quite appealing. Overall, what I love about Menomena is the creative aspect to their sound. To record, they use a program called Deeler, which allows each band member to record short riffs on their respective instrument, and turn these into loops onto which they base their songs. In the words of the band's leader Brent Knopf, "Deeler keeps the process democratic, which is the only way we can operate."

As a result, Menomena has produced two well-received albums: I Am the Fun Blame Monster! and Friend and Foe. While the latter is a bit more polished in its sound, I prefer the rawness of the first album. It often builds off of small, simple loops, such as a basic sliding guitar riff on E. is Stable that rises and falls with the intensity of the song, or the chillout guitar on Oahu. On both of these songs the music builds around these simple riffs,

with judicious use of some swirling pianos, a favorite of mine. Still, they don't keep everything too straightforward, pulling out the two-part beauty that is The Late Great Libido, which has two distinct parts, yet still manages to incorporate the main theme into both, with a droning saxophone and xylophone providing some serious novelty.

Their stuff from Friend and Foe seems a little... overdone, in my opinion - it seems to me that most of the songs from there have this enduring dark aspect to the music, and it lacks the charm of an earlier indie attempt. Nonetheless, I am infatuated with the dreamy My My, a floaty synth and guitar composition that makes my world seem to glow, yet brings me back down to earth with the opening line of "What if all my enemies were dead?"

In short, check out Menomena, if you're willing to try an independent band a little out of the ordinary. I would especially recommend I Am the Fun Blame Monster!, if not just for the album title.

E. Is Stable

Oahu

The Late Great Libido

My My

The Dragster-Wave

2009-03-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

Well, I've never been very into Belgian poppish-rock bands by the name of Ghinzu before... but... after watching the movie Taken (great action flick, by the way, go see it) I found myself shuffling through the seats, trying to get out of the theater, when suddenly this hypnotic piano riff started to play from the speakers. It sort of sucked me in, eventually developing into a really rocking and emotional guitar-jam, but man, was I hooked.

Thus, today, I present to you (a live version of) the song that I found: The Dragster-Wave, by Ghinzu. Personal suggestion: Skip to 2:20.

And no, I have no idea what a Dragster-Wave is either.

Rocket Science

2009-03-01T20:54:00.010-05:00

Well, it's been a busy few days: Traveled to Florida for two days to visit my grandma, saw my school's production of Beauty and the Beast, ate Cuban food for the first time...

Anyway: On the way home, I watched a film called Rocket Science. It's not in theaters, and it's not particularly well-known, although it did win an award at teh 2007 Sundance Film Festival. But it is a film that I think you should try to watch, if you can find it.

Rocket Science chronicles the life of Hal Hefner, a teenager with a pronounced stutter that limits virtually everything he does and says. It is not a traditional film - not a love story, not a big plot or goal that anyone is striving for. It involves a girl, the quick-witted and biting Ginny Ryerson, but it is not a traditional romance.

Rocket Science is called a comedy-drama, in that there are quite a few awkward situations that could make you laugh. My personal favorite involves a drunken Hal heaving a fullsized cello through a window.

But really, Rocket Science is about coming of age, and finding your place in the world. Hal is an outsider, unable to really find his niche, or even make any sense of the world around him. In that sense, this is one of the more realistic films you'll see - a real character struggling just to find his place, and not necessarily with a fairytale ending, either.

Go see Rocket Science. It's well worth it.

Grahhhhh

2009-02-24T18:32:00.001-05:00

The wonderful essay I spent over three hours on last night turned out to be a practice type thing. As in, not graded. I wish someone had told me that.

Must. Kill. Self.

Surprise!

2009-02-23T17:32:00.002-05:00

Today my AP English teacher decided to present my class with a little surprise: An essay on the Declaration of Independence. Specifically, an essay documenting the stylistic differences between an early draft and the final draft of the Declaration, explaining the probable reason for some of the changes, and accounting for their rhetorical effect. Oh joy.

Oh, and it's due tomorrow.

I find it difficult to express just how spiteful I am of this... wonderful... assignment. So I think I'll take time away from its composition in order to do just that, in poetic form.

I do so hate my English class

Indeed on my list it comes last

I will not write this in a box

I will not write this with a fox

I will not write this with a mouse

I will nto write this in a house

I will not write this here or there

I will not write this anywhere

I should not write this dumb essay

But alas I must to my dismay.

I'm On a Boat

2009-02-21T21:09:00.001-05:00

If you've already seen the Saturday Night Live from about 2 weeks ago, I apologize. If you have not, then this is a 3 minute short you must see.

Back from Harvard

2009-02-18T18:12:00.003-05:00

Well, from early Friday to late Monday I was away. (Yes, the blog can be set to auto-update.) Away debating at the Harvard Debate Tournament for high schoolers. It's quite the prestigious tournament - thousands of competitors from all over the nation come to compete for the top spot in their respective events. The ride there and back itself was quite fun - our forensics team has some interesting characters. And Cambridge and Boston are some pretty awesome cities to crawl around.

In my event, Student Congress, I did quite well - I made it to the final round, the top 24 out of 336 competitors. I'm quite pleased, really - I'm the first person in my school's history to make it that far in my event. Knowing you're good at something is quite a nice feeling, really.

I'm still readjusting to normal life. When you spend four days in the hectic, crazy, emotionally-charged, and often very witty atmosphere of forensics, slowing things down to the boring (and homework-filled) pace of life can be somewhat of a downer. Still, things are good. Things are good.

Samskeyti

2009-02-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

Yet another Sigur Ros related installment... this time a song originally with no title other than "Untitled #3", from an album called ( ). Yes, two brackets. Later the band assigned the name "Samskeyti" to the track. It is a beautifully simple instrumental - this is a live recorded version for the BBC. I personally think you need to hear this song at least once in your life.

Sigur Ros - Ágætis byrjun

2009-02-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

Currently one of my favorite songs, this beauty of a track comes from Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Ros. The track is Ágætis byrjun, from the album, well, Ágætis byrjun. I suggest you listen in its entirety - this is a live version from a documentary the band made called Heima.

Wise Words

2009-02-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today I thought I'd share a quote I read in the November 13th edition of The Economist...

The Israelis, for instance, could put an end to a hundred years of futile hostilities by buying somewhere for the Palestinians. If they clubbed together, they could get somewhere really nice—Florida, maybe. China could stop making aggressive gestures towards Taiwan and buy Malaysia instead. It’s already run by Chinese, so they’d hardly notice the difference. And Barack Obama, committed to uniting America, could defuse the nation’s culture wars by purchasing an alternative homeland for those of his countrymen who want more use of the death penalty, less gun control and no gay marriage. A slice of Saudia Arabia’s empty quarter would do nicely: there’s plenty of space and the new occupants would have lots in common with the locals.

The British are familiar with the notion that, if you’re bored at home, you grab somebody else’s country; but recent experience suggests that invading places can be expensive and troublesome, so a market solution seems a better way of dealing with national dissatisfaction.

Super Bowl Ads

2009-02-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

Well, Super Bowl XLIII has come and gone. Congratulations to the victorious Pittsburgh Steelers, although I still hate you so.

Still, quite a few good ads to be seen on Super Bowl Sunday. Below are my topic 5:

5. Monster: Need a New Job?

4. Doritos: Power of the Crunch

3. Pepsi: Pepsuber (SNL Sketch)

2. Hulu: Alec Baldwin

1. Careerbuilder.com: Tips

Bloom: Taking iPhone Apps to the Next Level

2009-02-01T12:00:00.001-05:00

Brian Eno, arguably the godfather of ambient music, has teamed up with a programmer by the name of Peter Chilvers to create one of the most intriguing apps out there for the iPhone that I have ever seen: Bloom.

Bloom is, in the words of its creators, "part instrument, part composition and part artwork." It's a music-creator... but it's different from the truckloads of synthesized keyboards and whatnot that can be found all over the app store. Bloom actually creates ambient music for your iPhone, it in itself essentially being an "instrument".

You're provided with a colorful background and a quiet background hum, and from there you yourself can create some really cool sounds just by tapping on the screen. The software is extremely intuitive - it's pretty much impossible not to understand. Just tap, and it does the rest - creating loops and constantly changing itself. It can also just create music itself.

Bloom is $3.99 on the App Store for iPod Touch or iPhone users, and in my opinion, it is well worth the price. I have yet to see another app that is as interesting, cool, or original as this. Check it.

Snow Day

2009-01-28T14:34:00.002-05:00

Wow, it's been a crazy few days. Travelling to Hotlanta (er, I mean Atlanta, GA) to debate at Emory University was quite the experience. (If anyone cares, I made finals in Student Congress, which I think is quite good.) So was meeting Bob Barr, the 2008 Liberatarian Presidential Candidate. That was interesting.

And now, in the midst of the crazy sprint to the finish for finals... a short moment of peace, as a blanket of snow has covered my Pennsylvanian town, and granted us a day of rest before the insanity of finals sets in tomorrow.

It's been a while since I've had a real snow day, and I'd almost forgotten how great it was. Waking up to the elation of discovering you have no school, and the gratefulness at being able to sleep until 11 in the morning after waking up at 5:30am. And then wearing pajamas all day, drinking hot chocolate by the fire, and doing nothing all day because obviously it's too snowy outside to do anything productive. (Although I did study a bit.)

Oh snow day. I do love thee.

Puppets!

2009-01-25T12:00:00.000-05:00

Below is the music video for Coldplay's new single, Life in Technicolour ii. Quite the good song, in my opinion. But this music video is just crazy good.

Let me put it this way. It has puppets. And explosions. Just trust me.

Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T20:52:00.003-05:00

Well, it's official: Barack Obama is now our nation's 44th President. It's been quite a day: Full of festivities, fun, and most of all, hope. This really does represent a turning point in America's history: The beginning of a new era. Americans joined together in celebration today as we inaugurated a new President. We can only hope that he will serve us to the best of his abilities, and send us in a new, better direction.

One thing that really struck me about the inauguration, actually, was a performance conducted right before Obama's swearing-in: The performance of a new orchestral piece by John Williams called Air and Simple Gifts. It was performed by a star-studded quartet that included Itzhak Perlman on violin and Yo-Yo Ma on cello (in addition to a clarinetist and a pianist whose names escape me.) It was really quite magical. Watch:

In addition, if you haven't already, check out Mr. Obama's Inauguration Address. It's really a great speech.

A New Era Begins

2009-01-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today marks the day that President Barack Obama will officially be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. Let's hope he does a better job than the last one. And I honestly think he will.

Now that this day is finally here, here's a little To-Do List for our new President:

Don't Buy Stuff You Can't Afford!

2009-01-17T14:12:00.001-05:00

If only all of our nation had watched Saturday Night Live... We might not have an economic crisis. Oh well.

ka-SUE!

2009-01-11T18:58:00.003-05:00

The American legal system is a very... perverse thing. Or perhaps it's not the legal system itself, it's the American mentality that enjoys abusing it. Whatever the reason, the American tort system has allowed its inhabitants to permanently shirk its responsibilities. The mentality now seems to be that "it is never my fault; it must be the fault of someone else, and therefore they should pay for my shortcomings."

It's really a shame, but it's true. Just look at malpractice lawsuits: Countless innocent doctors are sued by patients, often for millions of dollars, simply because of the appearance of a scar after surgery, or a result that wasn't precisely to their liking. There have been reports of patients who have undegone life-saving surgery for cancer that have won huge settlements for unsightly blemishes from surgery. Of course, they cannot accept responsibility. Someone must always be to blame.

George Will wrote an interesting take on this in an article entitled Liberate America from Lawsuit Lunacy. I suggest you all give it a read:

Click-tastic.

How to Fail AP English

2009-01-08T19:02:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine recently gained infamy for an essay written for AP English, simply entitled "Your Mom". To quote him:

I submitted it to my AP English teacher and she flipped. She said it
was one of the most inappropriate things ever. She even called me out of PreCalc
to talk about it. Hah.

'It's not even an essay. The entire second page is basically just a wave of
obscenities hitting me in the face'

Here is the essay's full text. Enjoy:

“Your Mom”
In recent decades, it has become customary to use more abstract methods of insult rather than simply attacking the opponent directly. To this end, western society has come up with an intriguing route, that of attacking the mother. The interesting factor here is the deterioration of the opponent’s filial piety in a mocking fashion. There are many manifestations of the “your mother” jest which will be explored individually.
One of the most common forms of a “your mother” joke is the double entendre. For example, let’s say Person A said, “I want to give you something” to Person B. In typical joking fashion, Person B may reply with, “That’s what your mom said to me last night!” Alternatively, Person A could ask something to the effect of, “What is your dad doing over there?” and Person B could appropriately respond, “Your mom!” Finally, in another instance, Person A might casually ask, “What do you want to do next?” and Person B, given this prompt, could easily answer, “Your mom, of course!”
In addition to the aforementioned simple innuendo manifestations, “your mother” jokes also present themselves in generic formulas, such as, “Your mother is so X, she’s Y!” Typical substitutions for “X” include, but are not limited to; “fat,” “stupid” and “ugly.” For example, a typical insult could be, “Your mother is so fat, she has her own zip code!” The implication is that the mother is so large she has been classified as a separate territory and has subsequently been given a location code. Another formula often used is the simile form, i.e. the extremely sexual and vulgar: “Your mother’s like a bowling ball: she gets fingered, chucked in the gutter and still comes back for more!”
Lastly, there are the nonsensical examples, also called non sequitur “your mother” jokes. It follows as Person A exclaims, “I told you to knock before you enter my room!” Person B, may respond with a nonsensical, “Your mom!” In this example the reason is disregarded and the tense scenario is instead turned into a bad joke, quickly brushed off by making an irrelevant statement.
While these jokes have been in popular use more recently, there is also evidence of their employment in casual conversation centuries past. Archaic “your mother” jokes occur in classical literature. For instance, William Shakespeare wrote in Act I, Scene I of the play, Timon of Athens, “Painter: ‘Y'are a dog,’” to which the character Apemantus responded, “‘Thy mother's of my generation. What's she, if I be a dog?’”[fixed your quotations] Such a literary device is also employed in the play, Titus Andronicus, in Act IV, Scene II, where Aaron mocks his lover’s sons:
“Demetrius: ‘Villain, what hast thou done?’
Aaron: ‘That which thou canst not undo.’
Chiron: ‘Thou hast undone our mother.’
Aaron: ‘Villain, I have done thy mother.’”
Both of these examples illustrate earlier historical usage of what would otherwise be contemporary jesting.These “your mother” jokes illustrate how contemporary society and even society from past centuries can be grotesque in its humor. It also demonstrates that, often, the source of ridicule is not a defining characteristic of the opponent, but rather the origin of the opponent, and thus an indirect generalization.

The REAL Situation in Gaza

2009-01-06T15:00:00.000-05:00

By now, plenty of you have probably heard about the situation in Gaza. The Hamas terrorist organization and Israel are locked in a war that has claimed several hundred lives, much to the dismay of the the citizens of Gaza and the outside world. Much of the world has found some sympathy in their hearts and sided with Hamas, citing the dozens of civilian deaths caused by Israel.

Unfortunately, the world seems lack a real sense of morals. Or a brain. I highly suggest that you read this article:

Israel, Hamas, and Moral Idiocy

The Christian Science Monitor can put it a bit better than me, but, in a nutshell:

Hamas's stated purpose is to DESTROY ISRAEL. They have fired over 2,000 rockets into Israel since 2001, (with the purpose of causing as much death as possible) killing dozens of innocent civilians, and have engaged in unlawful warfare tactics such as firing these rockets from densely populated areas so that Israel cannot retaliate without killing massive amounts of civilians. (And thus, they haven't.)

Israel, on the other hand, is lawfully defending itself against a stated threat that broke the terms of a ceasefire. Hamas is a group of fanatics that are willing, and devoted to, causing widespread death and destruction to an established culture and its people. They brought this upon themselves, and they deserve the retaliation that they have provoked.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T13:59:00.005-05:00

Well, it's been a loooong 2008. A very, very long 2008. Filled with plenty of drama, excitement, and pretty much everything else. It's been a wild ride. Who would've thought, on January 1, 2008, that we'd be where we are today?

Among the things that happened...

The phraes "downward spiral" became the new hot phrase for a while as America tumbled into an economic crisis, dragging the rest of the world down with it. With the fall of Lehman Brothers in September, all hell broke loose, as countless banks found themselves billions in debt, the marekts seized up, and the new "credit crunch" (hey, another fun phrase!) became all the rage. When the Fed stepped in to buy Fannie and Freddie, AIG, etc., we knew that this was for real. Especially when markets in other countries started to fail. Go us!

All was not lost at home, however, as the buzzword "change" found itself the most popular kid on the block. Barack Obama's dazzling victory in the US presidential election was as inspiring a story as people have heard in their lifetimes, uniting a troubled populace and smashing racial barriers left and right. If there's anyone that helped give the world hope for the coming year, it is he.

In the meantime, John McCain fought a good fight, and Sarah Palin singlehandedly taught America how to stop thinking and embrace their inner fanatic. To Katie Couric's smug amusement.

Abroad, the world found its fair share of conflicts. The world will remember the Mumbai attacks that claimed the lives of hundreds, and took a city hostage for three days, all at the hands of ten men. And let's not forget the growing spread of terrorism everywhere: While they may not have claimed quite as many lives, hundreds of other attacks claimed the lives of countless innocents. Frankly, that just shows what a sorry state this world is in.

Oh, and Somalian pirates took over the waters near the horn of Africa. At least this means that global warming is finally slowly down.

Meanwhile, Russia waged war against Georgia over Georgia's breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Who started it: No one knows. What it means for the world: The Russian bear is stretching its legs. And Putin's still in power, by the way.

Iraq got somewhat better... and Afghanistan got a lot worse. Funny the way the world works, eh?

Oh, and Fidel Castro stepped down, among the hundreds of other interesting things that happened that I didn't manage to mention. Didn't you hear?

The Beijing Olympics united the world in peace and harmony for a few weeks this summer... except for the whole Russia-waging-war thing. Still, it was a fun show, especially when Michael Phelps let his inner dolphin show. Such an amazing, talented, and sexy young man... Erm. Moving on.

The iPhone and iPod continued to conquer the world... I suggest you all keep a hammer handy. Apple may decide to proceed to Phase 2 of their iWorldDomination Scheme soon. Wouldn't want to have those lasers firing out of your iDevices hitting your eyes...

And the Large Hadron Collider, or LHC, based in Geneva, Switzerland, did not create a black hole and kill us all. That was Jeremiah Wright, and luckily, his dastardly plot was foiled by a media slipup that probably ended his career. And no, Barack is not "cool" with you anymore, Jeremiah.

Heath Ledger won my heart with the release of Batman: The Dark Knight, which despite the criticism of countless critics, still remains my favorite movie of 2008. Why so serious? Beacause your performance was so flipping amazing, Heath. That's why.

Rafael Nadal unseated Roger Federer as the king of tennis in what may have been the greatest tennis match of all time. And the Phillies, yes, the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series.

And some crazy blogger decided to start up a blog called Defenestrate!, which is read by an average of two to three people daily. If that. Who knows? Maybe by 2010, ten people will have read this post. That, my friends, is the miraculous wonder that is the internet.

Here's to a happy, healthy, prosperous, and significantly amusing 2009. Can't hope for more than that.

(Note: If you're still craving to reminisce on the year that was, check out The 2008 List of Lists. If you read slowly enough, it'll keep you occupied until 2010.)

Best?

2008-12-29T23:12:00.001-05:00

As 2008 draws to a close, we are inspired to look back at the year that was... and people all over the interwebz are scrambling to catalogue the best and worst, well, everythings that were.

Among the many lists, three of my favorites:

Best Movie Posters of 2008

MAGNET's Top 25 Albums of 2008

Sin's Top 20 Best Songs of 2008

Happy Zombie Jesus Day!

2008-12-25T16:48:00.002-05:00

Yay for self-explanatory blog posts! Today, as we all know, is the day that zombie Jesus rises from his hallowed grave and brings holiday joy and cheer to the masses! Good stuff, good stuff.

As for me, I'm just fine watching movies and eating bagels. And hangin' with zombie Jesus and zombie Moses.

Merry Christmas!

Winter Break

2008-12-23T17:11:00.002-05:00

School is out. I am relieved. I have no school until January the 5th - that's 12 whole days for me to sleep like a normal person and hopefully catch up on some well-deserved and greatly-needed relaxing. Just some good books, my new iPod touch (yay!), friends, and family.

I love winter break.

Chanukah

2008-12-21T21:51:00.002-05:00

Happy Chanukah all of you crazy Jews and gentiles. Tonight marks the first of one crrraaaazzzyyyy eight nights. We're talking candles, spinning tops, chocolate coins, presents, and best of all, an emphasis of fried potatoes even greater that you would find at McDonald's.

Happy Chanukah, and long live the latke.

Zeitgeist

2008-12-18T00:00:00.000-05:00

As 2009 draws ever closer, the world has a bit of time to look back and reflect on how the past year went. And what better way to do that than to get up with the spirit of the peopla and the times by finding the hottest search terms on Google?

I introduce Google Zeitgeist, Google's explanation of the most popular and fastest-rising search trends of 2008. If you're wondering, the word 'zeitgeist' is a German word meaning "the spirit of the age and its society". Definitely one of my new favorite words.

Cool stuff. CHECK IT!

It is Possible to Win Without Winning

2008-12-15T06:30:00.000-05:00

Well, I competed at a debate tournament on Saturday. Prelims passed by nicely, and I broke into the Super Session of Student Congress, with 15 people and myself going for the top. Pretty much... I mostly dominated. I made 3 speeches about 2 bills, and most people in the chamber were telling me that I had won.

So, naturally, I got 2nd place.

I was pretty frustrated - in my event, you can get ranked from 1-9, with 1 being the best and 9 being not-ranked. There were three judges, who gave me the ranks of 1, 1 and 9, respectively.

I will kill the third judge.

That is all.

Knowledge is Power

2008-12-13T00:00:00.002-05:00

Knowledge is power. The old saying has been around for centuries, I'm sure, but never has this been more true than in today's society. The proliferation of education and innovation have created a better world in which we solve problems that face us faster, and increase the standard of living for everyone. Obviously, this includes the reduction of poverty and crime, disease and disorder, and an increase in global competitiveness as our populace becomes smarter and more innovative, and realizes its potential for becoming productive and successful.

Information is at the heart of all of this. A well-informed citizenry was the key to our Founding Fathers' vision of democracy, in which the people hold absolute power, and dictate the fate of their nation for their benefit. The proliferation of information allows us to understand the world around us, and become better suited to serving ourselves and those around us. One who embraces the power of information (especially through education) tends to find themselves successful. Those who ignore it often find themselves left behind.

No one thing has provided such huge, all-encompassing access to information as the advent of the internet. Never before has such a vast compilation of information been available to the public. And with the invention of search engines such as Google, it is possible to sort through this information and find what we are searching for in seconds. Never before has it been so easy to better ourselves through the acquisition of knowledge. With a world's worth of information at our fingertips, the internet truly has the power to change the way we think. And that has great consequences for the way the world will work, and for the better.

If you ask me, the internet is one of the greatest and most consequential inventions in all of human history. It informs us, it connects us, and possibly most importantly, it allows us to respond to what we see and share our own information. For too long mankind has relied on one-way mediums for its information such as radio and television. While very informative, they are not very useful in creating a well-informed populace because they only allow its users to receive information, and not contribute to it themselves. Only the very rich can influence what is seen over these mediums, and as a result, a very small group of people has the power to influence hundreds of millions. This is not acceptable. A well-informed populace needs not only access to information, but also the ability to respond to that information. This "conversation of ideas" is what fuels innovation and free thought, and what we have seldom seen since the days of the Revolution. It is time that we realized what a great thing the internet is, and started using it to its full potential.

Slowly, the world is starting to adopt to this new infrastructure of free-flowing and fully accessible knowledge. In Estonia, internet access is a basic human right by law. Today, it is one of the most modernized, well-informed and in-touch nations in the world.

The world will change as the internet becomes a more dominant medium in our society, and undoubtedly it will be for the better. We should try to hasten this new age of free information and knowledge by encouraging the proliferation of technology throughout the nation, and the world. Bringing this technology to the people of the world will undoubtedly help us stay connected, well-informed, and better able to cope with the problems of the 21st century. Perhaps if we could bring internet access to everyone, we couldsee the benefit in society. Maybe bringing the net to the secluded parts of the nation, from rural South to the Great Plains, could allow us to truly accomplish greatness.

Singing

2008-12-10T18:41:00.004-05:00

With no one in the house, about an hour ago, I set to work tackling my AP Calculus homework. Admittedly, differentiating and integrating various permutations of natural logarithmic functions, e^x, and inverse functions is not exactly the most... thrilling work in the world. So, bored about halfway (more like two-thirds) to tears, I began humming to myself an odd, shapeless tune.

This eventually developed into a full-blown, endless beatbox-style song about my current topic in calculus, essentially integrating (ouch, calculus pun) each step of the problem I was doing into lyrical and melodical form. After about twenty minutes, the tune became completely nonsensical, with regular modifications to the rhythm, and lyrics that made no sense at all.

Nonetheless, it was quite amusing. I suggest that, if ever you're alone and are partaking in some sort of boring or mindless task, start singing about it. Don't try to make it very musical - just go with the flow and essentially start speaking in rhythmical form. It's pretty interesting.

And yes, it does mean you're crazy, or close to it, if you do.

Just like me.

Glass of Water

2008-12-08T17:25:00.002-05:00

Well, Coldplay recently released a new EP, entitled Prospekt's March. It's a random collection of a couple of B-sides and remixes, but there are a couple of very nice tracks on there.

In particular, a song known as Glass of Water. Personally, I am in love with this song - nice lyrics, full sound, and a powerful driving chorus make this my current favorite in my library.

If y'all are interested, here's the link to this latest song. Enjoy:

Linky

SATs

2008-12-05T19:11:00.003-05:00

Taking the SATs tomorrow for the first time. A bit nervous, been preparing quite a bit over the past week, as evidenced by my lack of updates. Hopefully it'll go well, and I'll be without that big burden for a little while, which is good.

In the meantime, physics is weird.

Soft Power

2008-11-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

They say that, today, America is the world's sole superpower - a nation far above the rest in terms of influence over the others are overall global superiority. But let's ask ourselves, what exactly is power? In a nutshell: It is the ability to get others to do what you want them to. In today's society, because of America's overall dominance, we can get other nations to do our bidding easier than others can.

So how does one exert power over another? Think of it in terms of carrots and sticks. There are three ways to get someone to do what you want:

Hit them over the head with a carrot until they give in to your devious demands
Dangle a carrot in front of them until they acquiesce to your devious demands
Attract people to you by example by showing them how many carrots you have, and showing them that if they follow your lead, they'll end up with the same fate. (And not be a jerk.)

The first two are the quintessential examples of hard power: Using military force and economic coercion or dominance to achieve one's aims. This has been the staple of America's foreign policy lately. Unfortunately, it's led to the decline of our global image and legitimacy in the global community: In other words, people don't like us anymore.

The third, however, is soft power: The power to influence others through cultural and ideological means. In other words, this means the power to attract other people to your ideals. It means diplomatic cooperation, taking the lead in global issues, and sensible foreign policy. And it means making sure that your country is viewed well by others.

Now, clearly, a country needs to use both types of power to achieve success. You can't conquer your way to success anymore, but neither can you just waltz around getting everyone to love you.

Nonetheless, America needs to focus more on improving its soft power if it wants to keep its role as a global superpower. We need to boost our legitimacy in the world if we want to stay competitive.

Besides, in the end, it costs you a lot less in carrots and sticks.

(If you're interested in this, read more about it at this link.)