Is anyone here a Marine Biologist?

Epic Fail of the Day

2009-07-15T17:37:00.002-04:00

I can hear the song of the ice cream truck at the beach. It is a muzak, digital-chime version of "Fur Elise". Epic Fail in using classical music to sell popsicles to 10 year old kids.

Epic Fail of the Day (Continuous)

2009-07-09T18:01:00.004-04:00

96.9 WTKK vs. 90.9 WBUR

96.9 = Entertainment
Format: Belligerent, ridiculously ignorant hosts spout bile regarding topics about which they understand very little. Listeners call in, are interrupted, insulted and have their points ignored. Never once have I heard someone other than the hosts and callers discussing the topic at hand.

90.9 = Information
Format: Professional and educated host speaks with at least one recognized expert/author regarding a wide variety of topics, all of which tie into everyday life in profound and important ways. Listeners call in, are treated courteously and the points that they make more often than not lead the discussion in new directions.

Listening to 96.9 for any purpose other than amusement = Epic Fail of the Day.

UPDATED: Social Entropy

2009-06-11T22:00:00.008-04:00

Social Entropy

All systems in the universe approach a state of total chaos. In this vein of thinking, the very function of civilization is to keep the human species from dissolving into chaos. Can you imagine what the world would be like with six billion people and no laws or social customs? In order to prevent this anarchistic state, a very small minority of people carve out the tenets of society through cultural customs, religion, and judicial processes. However, the actual execution of these rules has a two-fold effect.

The first effect of this social organization is that of bringing people together harmoniously. As examples, charity work and life-saving medical research, which may seem unrelated, are actually the offspring of well-intentioned individuals who were organized into a group and thus able to pool their efforts and maximize their effectiveness. This is the boon of ordered structures of social interactions. However, this positive effect is overshadowed by the dark side of organized society.

People collaborating their efforts in large groups with little control over one another can be a very fruitful experience. However, inevitably in all types of civilizations, which are truly crafted and controlled by a global ruling class, the common person follows social rules and examples for no better reason other than the fact that they exist. This sheep-like activity allows the ruling class to exploit and abuse the masses with little to no consequence.

The ruling classes of various countries have developed methods to quell any retribution for their self-serving behavior. For instance, in the United States, the “American Dream” is an indoctrination tool whereby people are told that if they work hard and apply themselves, they actually have a chance of becoming rich and prosperous and able to control their own destiny. Thus, generation after generation, the American working class plods along in unrewarding and degrading jobs, allowing the economic elites to ravage the country and economy. The working class allows this behavior of the ruling class because, in their ignorance, they believe that it is acceptable to desire and have those privileges for themselves once they rise through the ranks of society. In less-developed and smaller nations, such as certain countries in Africa, a military dictatorship is sufficient to allow a small group of people to exploit the citizens of the controlled nation.

A most poignant observation, upon accepting this view of human society, is that capitalism as it is practiced today belongs on the dark side of social entropy. The very idea of most of the wealth in a society being controlled by a minority of its members is categorically at odds with a morally justifiable view of the world, unless every member of the society has an equal opportunity to gain a fair share of said wealth. In order to allow every person an equal chance to gain a level of wealth that is proportionate to their contribution to society, several things must occur.

The first necessary change, the change from which all the other changes necessarily flow, is to provide all human beings with free access to high-quality education.

The second necessary change to society is the abandonment of categorizations for people. For instance, the idea of separating people by race, religion, nationality, physical attributes, mental ability, or any other similar factors must be overcome in our society. Until we no longer judge a person by any qualities that he or she cannot control, we cannot legitimately consider ourselves to be magnanimous.

The third necessary change is to end all inheritance of wealth in any form. The purpose of capitalism is to allow members of society to gain a share of wealth that is relative to their motivation and ingenuity. If we allow wealth to be passed down through generations, it negates the point of capitalism. Inheritance allows a person to gain wealth without making a proportionate contribution to society. In addition, all living people should be given equally strong motivation to strive for human progress. Any members of society who inherit wealth are arguably no longer motivated to make progressive achievements in any field of human endeavor, because they are no longer forced to earn their own living. How many important discoveries or inventions have been made by somebody who inherited a trust fund?

The fourth necessary change is place a legal limit on the size of corporations. There are several problems that result from over-sized corporations, the first being that as a company grows, the more ruthless and destructive it must become, due to the relatively static nature of a large organization. Larger companies find it more difficult to responsibly compete in a dynamic global economy. Therefore, they instead attempt to alter the market, through political channels, to fit their own situation. For an example, consider oil companies. Due to the unsustainable nature of a petroleum-based economy, as well as increasing concern over climate change, these companies are headed for a major downsizing, if not total failure. However, they artificially increase their own longevity, usually by military intervention in an oil-rich country (for instance, both Gulf wars). These interventions cause a massive and widespread deregulation of business activities in the affected regions, allowing the piracy of natural resources. Instead of the market pushing companies towards the long-term financial sustainability of renewable energy technology, the oil companies distort the market to prefer the short-term, high-risk profitability contained within petroleum-based economic activity. The other problem with over-sized corporations is that their very existence is a threat to the stability of the overall economy. With too many resources tied up in any one company, the failure of said company can cause a massive recession. The current global downturn is proof-positive that the failure of a handful of over-sized companies can depress the entire world’s economy.

As soon as we implement these changes, societal progress will be boundless. The distribution of wealth in the world will become more just, and discrimination will end. For the first time in history, we could be proud to be members of the human race.

Epic Fail of the Day

2009-06-02T21:05:00.002-04:00

Earlier, I picked up my dad from the train station. He told me about how he was listening to conservative radio host Mark Levin. He listens to him for laughs. Anyways, the guy was complaining about how he is highly taxed on his property, which is on a golf course. He also complained and ranted about golfers going near his house with golf carts, and golf balls hitting windows. The things is, I don't know why this guy uses his head if he thinks he's a genius. First of all, you're taxed highly because you're living on a golf course, which is usually an upper-class place to live. Second of all, if you don't want people walking around your property, and golf balls hitting your house...DON'T LIVE ON A GOLF COURSE!!! Don't complain about liberals and taxes if you yourself don't use any intellect. Epic Fail.

Epic Fail of the Decade

2009-05-31T10:49:00.000-04:00

Invade Iraq......no weapons of mass destruction found.
North Korea's leader is certifiably insane and possesses nuclear weapons.......six party talks.

Epic Fail of the Decade.

Epic Fail of the Day

2009-05-21T23:14:00.002-04:00

Epic fail of the day may be a continuing segment, so we'll see how it goes. Today I was listening to the Yankee game on the radio in my car, and a Fox News commercial came on. It said that Fox News is "the most unbiased, balanced news in America."

EPIC FAIL

Imagine that McCain and Palin won in '08....

2009-05-21T20:43:00.005-04:00

Imagine also that there exists a global media which mirrors the style of national news outlets in today’s America. One of the sentences scrolling by at the bottom of the screen would be: “The United States invades Mexico because it claims swine flu as a terrorist plot to destroy capitalism.”

The State of Heavy Music Today: Prog is the Key

2009-03-02T16:52:00.002-05:00

3/2/09

The state of popular music, especially Heavy Metal since 1990 is an interesting topic. Popular rock music shifted from metal to grunge to alternative, to nu-metal to emo/hardcore to indie rock. Heavy metal never went away, except from the mainstream. In fact, incredible bands have come out since the early 90’s. The thing that makes this topic interesting is that it has become much more difficult to find good bands that are worth your listening time. The 1980’s saw some of the greatest heavy metal bands of all time, including Metallica, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Judas Priest, Guns N’ Roses, and countless others. However, heavy metal fell out of mainstream popularity in the early 1990’s. Pantera was probably the most popular metal band of the 90’s, other than Metallica. Guns N’ Roses’ classic lineup officially ended in the mid-90’s, and Iron Maiden and Judas Priest both went through various lineup changes throughout the 90’s. So, the 1990’s were a very strange time for most heavy bands.

I got into heavy music in the ninth grade. Most of the bands I listened to then were from the classic era of the eighties, such as: Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, and Megadeth. The next year I got into Iron Maiden and Nevermore. This was also around the time when I started looking at heavy bands since 1990. At first I was pretty reluctant to look at new bands, because I had a mentality that bands that weren’t from the 80’s weren’t as good. However I finally got past that and found some good bands. I didn’t end up listening to all of these bands for long though. At the time I looked for bands that had a similar style as Metallica. Some of the bands I found were considered part of the “New Wave of American Metal”. Among these bands were Lamb of God, Shadows Fall, and Killswitch Engage. I found all these bands in the same year; however I only listen to Lamb of God now. Shadows Fall and Killswitch were pretty good then, but they didn’t continue with a consistent output of good records. Another thing with these bands is that they aren’t that innovative.

Lamb of God on the other hand, has gotten better, and is an innovative band. They’re a band that is heavily influenced by the thrash metal genre, which is why I took to them in the first place. However, they aren’t an 80’s thrash copy. All the members of the band are incredibly gifted musicians, and some of the best in the genre. All the albums in their catalogue are extremely important and significant to the scene, especially As the Palaces Burn. They just released their new album Wrath last week, which I argue is their best record to date. They refined their sound, while adding new textures and influences to the mix. It’s a furious record, pounding the listener with its speed and crushing heavy metal. Lamb of God proves to be the best band of the “New Wave of American Metal” due to the fact that they have stayed consistent, even improving, not to mention their new take on a classic heavy metal sound.

Nevermore is one of the most unique metal bands I’ve ever heard. They combine a number of influences, as well as an operatic vocal style. Hardly any singers sound like Warrel Dane, which is one of the reasons I like them so much. Like the members of Lamb of God, Nevermore showcases virtuoso musicians. Jeff Loomis is an extremely underrated guitarist, and in my opinion, one of the best in the business. He is a shredder in every sense; however he sets himself apart by remarkable songwriting skills. He can solo with the best of them, as well as writing some of the most complicated and heavy riffs you’ll ever hear. All of their records are very good, with a special spotlight on Dead Heart in a Dead World and This Godless Endeavor.

Mastodon is a band I’ve only recently really gotten into. I’ve heard their stuff going back to tenth grade or so, but due to their progressive nature, didn’t catch on until a few months ago. I got Blood Mountain when it came out and liked it, but started really liking it a few months ago. They have an extremely interesting sound, mixing Sludge Metal with Thrash. This mix in influences, as well and their progressive songs, make them an extremely significant band in the scene. Their new album, Crack the Skye is set to be released at the end of this month, which puts them in a position to become an even bigger band.

Like Mastodon, Sweden’s Opeth is another band that took me a while to get into. Opeth is even more progressive than Mastodon. They are, in some ways, Heavy Metal’s Pink Floyd. There are a massive amount of influences in this band, among Latin music, jazz, Scandinavian music, and various heavy metal influences. Michael Akerfeldt, the front man of the band, is a virtuoso in his own right, as a songwriter, guitarist, and as a vocalist. I first listened to their landmark album, Blackwater Park, which was my favorite of theirs for years. However as my friend Matt always told me, they’re an interesting band because fans’ favorite album switches every so often. This ended up being true for me, because Ghost Reveries is now my favorite Opeth Record. It’s the perfect blend of great songs, and great production. Overall, Opeth is an absolutely amazing band with a great catalogue. Their records are very varied from each other, and I’ve yet to hear a bad record by them. One of the best things about them is the way they blend heavy and soft sections, going from a brutal riff to a beautiful mellow section. Akerfeldt is a great example of this, mixing heavy and soft vocals at a whim, and being masterful at both styles. Opeth continues to be one of the best metal bands around.

Lamb of God, Nevermore, Mastodon, and Opeth are only some of the big metal bands since the 1990’s. However, they are some of the absolute best, as well as my favorites. I recently realized why they have gained success, and why I like all four of these bands. This is because of the progressive nature of all four bands. All of these bands have done something new with their music, and didn’t just put out records that sound like the classic bands. They all write their music with progressive riffs, song structures, drumming and baselines. There is nothing standard about all their records. They all play extremely difficult music musicianship-wise, and are constantly pushing the envelope with their music, like progressive bands before them. There are bands around today that are pretty big, but I would argue that they won’t be around long, due to the fact that they’re not doing anything particularly new or unique. The above bands are also great due to the fact that they are all great live. Being a good live band, to me, is the true test of a good band. If you can’t play your music live, there isn’t much of a point. This is an interesting time for the heavy metal genre. Metallica and Guns N’ Roses have recently released albums which are both very good, and Judas Priest and Iron Maiden have reformed their classic lineups. These rebirths, in combination with the new generation of great metal bands, make this current era very interesting. You can see these bands, old and new tour together, making for amazing concert experiences. It isn’t the eighties, but it’s a great time for heavy metal.

Album Review: The Itals - Brutal Out Deh (1982)

2009-02-09T23:30:00.013-05:00

...........I'm laying next to a beautiful Jamaican woman. We're in a hammock strung between two palm trees, on a beach somewhere in the Caribbean. It's a Friday afternoon in August, around 7, and we're sharing a blunt and drinking margaritas. The sun is hanging lazily in the sky; only a few hours before it sets over the ocean. The rhythm of the waves washing gently onto the sand only 20 feet away is soothing, hypnotic.........

All you need to know about this album is that it would perfectly complement the above scene.

Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy Review

2009-02-09T17:20:00.001-05:00

Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy

To start, Led Zeppelin is my favorite band of the 70’s. Black Sabbath was definitely the first heavy metal band, but Zeppelin was also one of the pioneers of the genre. The thing that separated Zep from Sabbath is their versatility. They play a number of different musical styles, culled from each band member’s eclectic tastes. They played rock, folk, metal, funk, and even reggae. The band was unstoppable during the 70s, and originated the decadent rock star lifestyle. Houses of the Holy is the band’s fifth album and the follow-up to the massively successful Led Zeppelin IV. IV has some of the band’s most popular songs, including Black Dog, Rock and Roll, and Stairway to Heaven. So, fans must have wondered how the band would top IV. Well, in 1973 they did it. In my opinion, Houses is Zeppelin’s best album. It’s the most consistent, and has the best collection of songs, as well as a number of classics.

The Song Remains the Same:
The album’s opener is a whimsical tune that rocks from beginning to end. I love the vocal melody at the end of the song.

The Rain Song:
The second song is a ballad, and is very well named. You can visualize a rainy day with drops of water cascading down a window. This song is full of great melodies, between Jimmy Paige’s Guitars, John Paul Jones’s bass and piano, and Robert Plant’s vocals.

Over the Hills and Far Away:
This song is one of my favorites on the record. It starts off with a harmonized folksy guitar riff, with Plant singing softly. It then explodes into a rocking chorus with a great groove. I love this type of song, which switches from soft to heavy and back. They always buildup, and excite the listener.

The Crunge:
Fans may be surprised by this song, and I’ll admit when I first got this album on my seventeenth birthday, I was too. This song is full-on funk with a strange vocal melody. It starts with the legendary John Bonham playing a jazzy beat. It took me a while, but I’ve grown to really like this song. This type of song is the reason Zeppelin is such a well-respected band. They branch out and play a number of different musical styles very well.

Dancing Days:
This song is another rocker, opening with clean electric guitar. This song is very, very catchy, and will hook the listener immediately. This song also features keyboards, played by the extremely multi-talented John Paul Jones. Jones is the unsung hero of Led Zeppelin, playing a number of instruments, as well as composing a great deal of the music. However, he is constantly overshadowed by the other three members of the band.

D’yer Mak’er:
D’yer Mak’er is another surprising track, just like The Crunge. This song features heavy reggae influence. The guitars and bass absolutely bleed reggae’s musical style. This is a really cool song because it also has heavy rock mixed in. I’ll admit this is another grower for rock fans, but once it sinks in, you can’t stop listening. Axl Rose of Guns N’ Roses said in an interview that after hearing this song, he knew he wanted to become a rock singer.

No Quarter:
No Quarter is also one of my favorite tracks. It’s very slow and drones in the beginning, even depressing. Later, when the chorus kicks in, Paige plays a guitar riff that reminds me of the style of Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi. No Quarter is one of my favorite Zeppelin ballads, along with Stairway. I became addicted to this song very quickly.

The Ocean:
The Ocean is my favorite song on the album. Even though it doesn’t have the loud guitars or bass of modern heavy metal, this song reeks of heavy. The guitar is amazing in this song, and the groove is ridiculously good, thanks to the rhythm section of John Paul Jones and John Bonham. Paige plays a great blues solo as well. This is one of my favorite Zep songs to listen to, because it isn’t as played out as some of their other classics like Kashmir.

Overall, Houses of the Holy is a great album, and is my favorite Zeppelin album. It many not have some of the more famous songs of the band’s catalogue, but it is the most complete. There isn’t a bad song on here, not to mention it flows so well from song to song. The last three songs flow especially well together, and are some of the best on the entire record. They really finish the record strong with D’yer Mak’er, No Quarter, and The Ocean. This is a great record, and I would recommend it to any rock fan.

My favorite tracks:
-Over the Hills and Far Away
-D’yer Mak’er
-No Quarter
-The Ocean

Rating: 9/10

Ticking Away the Moments that Make Up a Dull Day: My Experiences With Pink Floyd

2009-02-03T00:00:00.002-05:00

Since getting back to UVM for Spring Semester, there haven’t been many dull days. I’ve been watching a ton of Lost, watching football, and recently turned 21. The semester’s been a lot of fun so far, and I’ve gotten into a bunch of new music as well. My newest musical obsession is Pink Floyd. Some of my best friends are massive Floyd fans, and I’ve been heavily exposed to their music for the better part of a year and a half. However, I didn’t get into the band for myself until about two weeks ago. My first Floyd album was Echoes, the best of record, because I didn’t know where to start. I liked a bunch of the songs, but didn’t listen to it enough to further pursue the band’s legit albums. Later, I got Dark Side of the Moon, one of the world’s most famous records in any genre of music. Again, I liked a bunch of songs but never further pursed more music until recently. For a while, I badly wanted some new music, and randomly thought of Wish You Were here, the follow-up to Dark Side of the Moon. So, I listened to it, and instantly loved it. It’s great, great progressive rock with a great theme. Since I liked that record so much, I soon got the follow-up, entitled Animals. I was amazed at the fact that Animals is even better than Wish You Were Here, and I realized that I was quickly becoming obsessed with a new band. Animals is another great record both musically and lyrically. Below are simple, general reviews of the three Pink Floyd albums I’m familiar with, as well as ranking.

Dark Side of the Moon:

This is easily one of the most famous and well received albums of all time. This is one of the records that almost everyone owns. I’m not a Floyd expert, and Jon and Matt know much more than I do, but this is definitely a great record. Right now, I like the two follow-ups, Wish You Were Here and Animals better; however I recognize that this is a better album than Wish You Were Here. Dark Side is about the human experience, according to Jon, and I can definitely see that, with themes such as time, money, religion, and others. Time is definitely my favorite song on the album, with great lyrics, catchy hooks and melodies, and an amazing David Gilmour solo. This isn’t a record you can fully grasp on one listen, as are most Pink Floyd albums. I’m getting into it and understanding it more and more each time I listen to it. I can definitely see it rising on my Pink Floyd ranks very soon.

Rating: 9/10

Wish You Were Here:

Wish You Were Here was a more accessible record for me that Dark Side, and I was able to get into it immediately. This may be because it’s more similar to music I’m familiar with than Dark Side, but who knows. The theme of the record is the absence of Syd Barrett, the main songwriter and guitarist in the band’s first incarnation. Shine on You Crazy Diamond, broken up into two parts, and is a prog-rock masterpiece. It’s directly about Barrett. It’s an interesting title to me, because of the irony of “crazy diamond.” On one hand he was driven to insanity by acid, however the band still touted him as a musical genius, hence the “diamond.” I also like in “Have a Cigar” where they parody the music executive who asked “which one is pink.” I’m also a big fan of the title track, although my good buddies dislike it for being a radio hit. The think is, I completely understand where they’re coming from, but I still love the song. This was the first Floyd record I loved immediately so I’ll see this as a special collection of music for a longtime, although it isn’t my favorite.

Rating: 8/10

Animals:

Out of the three Floyd records I’ve heard from beginning to end, Animals is my favorite. It’s a concept album about human interactions, between civilians, businessman, and politicians (I believe). All the songs are flawless, with great guitar solos throughout. My favorite song is Dogs so far, and I especially love where the song calms down and Gilmour bends the strings in a harmony. I also really enjoy how sheep is more up-tempo than the two previous songs. I feel that this is a great way to wind down the record, with great musical variation. This is such a great record, and one of the better concept albums I’ve ever heard. I probably listened to it four times last week, maybe more. Animals is my favorite Pink Floyd record, and one of the best records I’ve heard this year. My next project is sitting down and listening to The Wall. From what I heard, I loved, so I can definitely see myself enjoying it.

Rating: 9/10
My Pink Floyd Album Rankings:

1: Animals
2: Wish You Were Here
3: Dark Side of the Moon

UPDATED: Social Entropy

2009-01-22T11:03:00.002-05:00

All systems in the universe approach a state of total chaos. In this vein of thinking, the very function of civilization is to keep the human species from dissolving into a state of chaos. Can you imagine what the world would be like with six billion people and no laws or social customs? In order to prevent this anarchistic state, a very small minority of people carve out the tenets of society through cultural customs, religion, and judicial processes. However, the actual execution of these rules has a two-fold effect.

A most poignant observation, upon accepting this view of human society, is that capitalism as it is practiced today belongs on the dark side of social entropy. The very idea of most of the wealth in a society being controlled by a minority of its members is categorically at odds with a morally justifiable view of the world, unless every member of the society has an equal opportunity to gain their share of said wealth. In order to allow every person an equal chance to gain a level of wealth that is proportionate to their contribution to society, several things must occur.

The first necessary change to society is the abandonment of categorizations for people. For instance, the idea of separating people by race, religion, nationality, physical attributes, mental ability, or any other similar factors must be overcome in our society. Until we no longer judge a person by any qualities that he or she cannot control, we cannot legitimately consider ourselves to be magnanimous.

The second necessary change is to end all inheritance of wealth in any form. The purpose of capitalism is to allow members of society to gain a share of wealth that is relative to their motivation and ingenuity. If we allow wealth to be passed down through generations, it negates the point of capitalism. Inheritance allows a person to gain wealth without making a proportionate contribution to society. In addition, all living people should be given equally strong motivation to strive for human progress. Any members of society who inherit wealth are arguably no longer motivated to make progressive achievements in any field of human endeavor, because they are no longer forced to earn their own living. How many important discoveries or inventions have been made by somebody who inherited a trust fund?

As soon as we implement these changes, societal progress will be boundless. The distribution of wealth in the world will become more just and discrimination will end. For the first time in human history, we could be proud to be members of the human race.

Lost in Lost

2009-01-09T22:12:00.000-05:00

With the season 5 premier of the television show Lost, I figured I'd write a little bit about the show. I'm late to the draw when it comes to Lost. I only got into it within the last few months, which is about four and a half years after the show's premier. My cousins talked about how good it was right when it came out, but for whatever reason, I didn't start watching it. I do remember seeing a few of the initial season 3 episodes two summers ago though. The problem was that Lost has such complex story lines and character developments, that those episodes were so out of context that I didn't grasp much of it. Lost isn't a show like Seinfeld or Entourage where you can watch it whenever and easily enjoy and understand it.

Lost is one of the best television shows I have ever seen. It is extremely well written, well acted, and has amazing twists and turns. The cinematography is absolutely fantastic as well. The show is filmed in Hawaii, so whether you see shots of the jungle or the beach your eyes are having a party.

Now, the majority of the characters are great. There are a few characters who are annoying, but to my surprise they have had redeeming qualities. I love how the cast is not only diverse, but have a wide range of personalities and traits. I enjoy the power struggle between Jack and Locke, and also the tough guy antics of Sayid and Sawyer. The flashbacks chronicling the back stories are also extremely well done. I don't want to give much of any of the plots away, as this show is built on twists. It's an absolutely amazing show, one of the best in years, and I highly recommend it.

As I write this, I'm watching through the third season, trying to get up to date before the season 5 premier. I haven't disliked any of the seasons, and I'm throughrouly enjoying the third so far. I can't say enough good things about this show. I have to thank my friends, Matt, Nick, Ryan, Cindy, and Rita for getting me into this great show. Lost is amazing...and I'm "Lost" in it haha.

Impossible things that I have experienced.

2008-12-25T00:08:00.000-05:00

A Christmas tree, on an island, with it's lights on.
Listening to an hour-and-47-minute-long album in 34 minutes.
Having a light switch on the other side of the room turned off while alone.
Enjoying Soul Plane.

A Rant about a Plant

2008-12-24T20:05:00.000-05:00

Marijuana should be legal for so many reasons that it would be absurd to try and document them all on this blog. However, I will run through a couple of them.

Excellent reasons for why marijuana should be legal:

1. Marijuana is not a gateway drug. "People who use heavy drugs claim that their drug use started with marijuana." No shit. There has to be a beginning to everything, including drug use. The first time you drove a car, did you compete in Le Mans? Of course not. To relate, hardly anybody's first drug will be heroin or some other hard street drug. At some point during every pot smoker's use of marijuana, and sometimes even before they start blazing, he or she will learn of drugs that have much more pronounced effects. Whether or not this person then decides to move on from marijuana to more intense drugs has nothing to do with the fact that they blazed in the first place. It has to do with a combination of morbid curiosity, life situation, and brain chemistry. The use of marijuana does not have a causal relationship with the later use of more harmful drugs.

2. Tobacco is legal.

3. Alcohol is legal.

4. Marijuana does not cause a lack of motivation. Marijuana has a tendency to attract users of less-than-average motivation, because being high makes sitting on a couch all day interesting. If marijuana didn't exist, it's not as if these people would be out doing medical research or volunteering at homeless shelters.

5. The government says that it should be illegal.

6. "Marijuana negatively affects the memory." First of all, let's see some proof. Secondly, so does being tired and aging.

7. If marijuana was legalized, crime would decrease. By making something illegal, the government creates a black market for it, and crime results. Is increased crime really worth having in order to fail at preventing people from lighting up a J?

8. Vaporizers exist. The argument about negative effects on the lungs is not valid.

9. Reggae.

Media & Law

2008-12-23T15:43:00.000-05:00

I feel like the media is responsible for ruining people's perceptions of the legal profession in this country. Think about the coverage of trials that you have seen. You always hear about the beginning of a case, such as the announcement of a lawsuit. Yet, you almost never hear about the result of a case.
This may be due to the American public's absurdly short attention-span. By the time a trial is over, not enough people even care about it any longer to justify putting it on the 6 o'clock news. By the way, that's another sign of how much working sucks. The workday is supposed to end at 5, but not enough people return home from work that corporations can't justify dipping into the marketing budget for another hour.
All those people are just sitting in traffic, idling their gasoline purchase away as they release clouds of toxic, environmentally-damaging chemicals into the atmosphere that ORGANISMS BREATHE. Companies that produce cars and gasoline (and are DEFINITELY owned by the same group of people) are the reason for the two biggest problems facing the United States: climate change and the Iraq War.
Actually, climate change is a problem facing every organism on the planet. The Iraq War is a financial sinkhole that is partly to blame for why this recession has hit us so hard and will last as long as it will. Thanks, Congress, for doing NOTHING while the Executive Branch went well on its way to destroying this country. Where are those checks & balances that the Constitution calls for? They're buried under the power of the President.

Just found this on IMDB...

2008-12-22T10:30:00.001-05:00

There are some classic ideas here. The plot for "North Pole" is awesome and I sincerely hope that somebody makes this movie. Enjoy.

Christmas Movies that Never Were...

Fuck People in Power

2008-12-22T01:20:00.000-05:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081221/ap_on_bi_ge/executive_bailouts

Fuck the government and fuck big corporations (these two groups are one in the same). There will be NO redress for this. Corporate executives just stole billions of taxpayer dollars. Literally, they stole the money right out of the pockets of working Americans. America truly is the greatest country in the world if you're a billionaire. Anyone else gets the shaft, gets hardcore fucked, and has it done daily.

Artificial Intelligence: Good or Bad?

2008-12-22T01:19:00.000-05:00

The basic premise that I am discussing here is whether or not it is a good idea to create humanoid robots with artificial intelligence. Why I think this may not be a good idea: if we create robots with our level of intelligence, yet with more strength and a body whose parts can be routinely replaced (allowing it to avoid death by natural causes), wouldn't they just dominate and/or replace us through natural selection? Could this theory apply to robotic creations?

A Quick Rant on Why I Hate the Dallas Cowboys

2008-12-15T16:32:00.001-05:00

Yes, the Giants lost last night to Dallas. They gave me more reasons to hate them, and I'm not talking about them simply beating the Giants. Just because you come out and say you're "America's Team" doesn’t mean anything. Even George Steinbrenner doesn't say that. If you know me you know that I'm not the biggest fan of the guy, and he IS arrogant as all hell. Even though he may say the Yankees are sport's best/most successful franchise, he isn't going around calling the franchise "

America

's Team." It's so unbelievably annoying when Jerry Jones, the Cowboys' owner is constantly down on the field during a game. I can't think of any other owner in sports that does that. I don't know if anyone noticed, but near the game they showed Jones in his luxury box, and all his friends had the same exact suit on. Jones needs to get out of football and go back to his oil field. By the way, you can't call yourself "America's Team" when your state propped up one of the worst presidents in United States' history pal!

Now, prior to last night's game there was a lot of controversy with Terrell Owens, Tony Romo, and Jason Witten. TO came out and said he was jealous of Romo + Witten's relationship, saying they come up with secret plays they'll run come game time. During the game there were numerous camera shots of the 3 congregating and laughing, in an obviously staged scenario. After the game, the three were interviewed in one of the most contrived and artificial interviews I've ever seen in sports. I can't stand the fact that the sports media loves this team so much. They're trying to prop up this team, consistently favoring them, calling them the best team in the league, even when they haven't won a playoff game in twelve years.

America

's Team? What have they done for America besides annoy most of the football fan base? "Big D" is full of big dopes if you ask me. I'm so sick of all of them.

A Short Piece: Why Poetry Sucks

2008-11-29T18:36:00.000-05:00

A list of adjective that describe poetry:
worthless
inane
unimaginative
pretentious

A poet is somebody who writes song lyrics but doesn't have enough talent to write accompanying music. As a result, poetry is a sub-par form of literature/art that expresses only part of whatever the writer was thinking about. Also, those who read poetry think that the people who write it are brilliant and talented. They end up creating a self-fulfilling prophecy by thinking that a poem is actually about something. So, they end up reading the poem and coming up with a twisted and obscure manner in which the poem can end up reflecting a comment on society or something of that nature. For instance, in high school one of my teachers was a poetry nut (a.k.a. can't read well) and forced us to read a poem about a red wheelbarrow. He then went on to explain that the wheelbarrow was a metaphor for society and that the poem was about communism. No, fucker. The poem is about a red wheelbarrow and poetry sucks and it doesn't represent anything. Read a fucking book instead of a paragraph full of stereotypical metaphors and actually learn something from literature.

Some common every-day items that are adequate substitutes for poetry:
picture
painting
dog shit

Album Review: Agitation Free - 2nd

2008-11-29T01:45:00.001-05:00

I already posted a recommendation to check out this album, so I figured I would review it as well. The first song "First Communication" strikes me as somewhat of a precursor to Post-Rock, in the vein of Red Sparowes. This track is a very gentle instrumental rock song and features excellent guitar work. One thing that you notice immediately about this album is the crystal-clear production. It really serves to bring out the different moods of the songs, by expressing the tone of each instrument very accurately. The second song "Dialogue & Random" is a collection of electronic noises arranged in a very trippy manner. If electrons wrote music, this is what it would sound like. A crashing piano chord finishes Dialogue & Random and simultaneously introduces the third song, "Laila, Part One". An epic guitar solo laid over a sweet groove comprises this entire song. A transition at the end of the solo opens up into the fourth song, "Laila, Part Two". As did Part One, Part Two primarily consists of a guitar solo laid over a groove. Unlike the first Part, however, this one gets slightly repetitive as the bass line and basic groove are repeated for well over four minutes. This song could also be viewed as an influence on Post-Rock. Laila, Part Two gently fades out and in comes the fifth song on the album, "In The Silence Of The Morning Sunrise". This song is more free-form that the two Lailas, and consists of a nice instrumental track with some pretty bluesy guitar soloing. I have just come to realize that one of the main reasons for why I like this album so much is that the guitar playing is ridiculously good. It reminds me of a mix of Harvey Mann and David Gilmour, with a dash of Hendrix. Morning Sunrise fades out and in comes the sixth song on the album, "A Quiet Walk: A) Listening B) Two - Not Of The Same Kind". This song opens up with what sounds like a babbling brook, and then some atmospheric and trippy noises start fading in and out. It's pretty cool, sort of like a psychedelic version of the "silence" in a forest, which isn't really silent but rather filled with a bunch of small noises. About three minutes in, a guitar solo gently fades in and out, all the while accompanied by more trippy sounds. I can just imagine how crazy this will sound in headphones. At the five minute mark, a single vocalized note floats into the song, then disappears, leaving in its wake gentle strumming on acoustic guitar. As the strumming continues, distorted guitar and bongos trade playing verses for the remainder of the song. A Quiet Walk fades out and in fades two haunting, ethereal voices, one whispering and one singing. These voices recite lines from something written by Edgar Allen Poe while cosmic noises play in the background. This is the last song on the album, "Haunted Island". After the first set of vocals finish, the instruments begin playing, while a muted and wavy voice recites more lines. This will sound wicked trippy in headphones. The second set of vocals concludes and in comes an impeccably bluesy guitar solo. My attention is drawn once more to the unusually clear production of this album. You can hear every note from every instrument perfectly. As the song winds down, the solo fades out and a distorted riff is repeated several times, when suddenly all of the instruments stop, the drums play a few final notes and then a sound like an electronic wave seems to wash over the song, ending the album... What an incredible listening experience that was. I cannot recommend this highly enough.

Album Review: Kahvas Jute - Wide Open

2008-11-28T00:47:00.000-05:00

This is a great album of what I would call stoner rock, circa 1971 Australia (a country known for its potent ganj). However, this is a recommended listen for anyone who enjoys catchy 70s rock music. The first song "Free" opens with a sweet guitar riff and soon the rest of the instruments join into an infectious, laid back groove that lasts throughout the track, complete with a pretty cool guitar solo. The lyrics provide some interesting food for thought. The highlight of the second song "Odyssey" is definitely the contrast between the verses and the chorus. The third song "Up There" is about blazing, with a killer opening riff, very cool lyrics, and a smokey atmosphere. The guitar solo comes soon after the track begins and fits the content of the song very well. Notable lyric: "the smoke is on the ceiling/my mind is on the floor". An interesting metaphor for being stoned. The fourth song "She's So Hard To Shake" is just an all-around awesome rock song about a girl who causes trouble, yet the singer can't get her out of his mind. This song is notable for its filthy bass playing. The fifth song "Vikings" is apparently about a young man who leaves an island with a head full of dreams (vague, but it doesn't matter because there are two sick guitar solos). The sixth song "Steps of Time" has some pretty abstract lyrics about the concept of time, as well as a great melody line with electric and acoustic guitar. The seventh song "Twenty Three" is a song about young love. I must say, this band wastes no time in getting to guitar solos, but the album is all the better for it. This track's solo is flashy and fast and damn GOOD, and is followed by a crazy drum solo. The eighth song "Ascend" has a great groove and is about a psychedelic trip. The ninth and final song "Parade of Fools" clocks in at 8 minutes, 58 seconds. The lyrics deal with growing up and becoming cynical, and the instrument playing is the best on the album.

Overall, everything on this album is awesome: the instrumentation, the lyrics, the vocals, etc. Very highly recommended.

Turkey, Tuxes, and California Pizza Kitchen

2008-11-27T10:38:00.000-05:00

First of all, Happy Thanksgiving everybody! Last night my brother and I met our first cousins at California Pizza Kitchen. Before last night, I hadn't eaten there, so I was interested what it would be like. Pizza's a funny thing near me, considering there are about 5 pizzerias per square mile. Anyways, dinner was good and we had a lot of fun. During the meal. my cousin asked my brother and I to be in her wedding party, to which I am both honored and excited.

I figured for fun, I would write a little bit about how the food was. The pizza was pretty good. There had to be about thirty different choices of pizzas, all personal pizzas. I decided to go for the barbecue chicken pizza, which also had red onions on it. One thing that also was a pleasant surprise was that the pizzas had thin crust. Thin crust pizza is awesome, the absolute best being Eddie's pizza, which was talked about in Season 1 of Entourage. The chicken on the pie was good, as well as the bbq sauce. I would definitely recommend California Pizza Kitchen. Definitely a good restaurant chain. Now...I must go and eat all day. I hope everyone does the same. Too bad the football games are going to be garbage today. Take it easy.

-Steve

Album Recommendation

2008-11-26T00:21:00.000-05:00

Agitation Free - 2nd. This album is very unique. The first song strikes me as somewhat of a precursor to modern electronica. For the most part, however, this record consists of wicked tripped-out rock music in various styles, with absolutely first-rate instrument playing all around. This is an extremely rewarding listen.

I was going to write a post about Sarah Palin...

2008-11-25T19:19:00.000-05:00

But then I remembered that someone had already expertly summarized my thoughts about this Alaskan media whore, as well as the disgustingly apathetic consumer wage-slave paradise (U.S.A.) that she came way too close to being in charge of.

Click here for the post.

Is there a knuckle involved?

2008-11-25T16:36:00.000-05:00

As I'm writing this I smell food cooking, leading to an eventual steak dinner. So, needless to say, I'm psyched. Anyways as Jon said, this is gonna be a place where we can write random stuff. I write reviews of cds, so I'll probably post those here, in addition to www.guitartechnica.com and on my facebook. Sports entries should get interesting considering our being fans of the biggest rivals in sports. As it turns out, we're home on Thanksgiving break from school, so I'm in NY, and Jon's kickin it in Mass. This past Sunday was awesome, because Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy was released, the Giants game was on, 24 returned with their 2 hour movie, and the Entourage finale was on. I decided I'd write a bit on 24 and entourage for my first post, so here it goes.

24:

Now, 24 is one of the best tv shows on. However, I thought that season 6 was somewhat weak, borrowing storylines from previous seasons. I was excited when they announced that there would be a 2 hour movie, bridging seasons 6 and 7, which will air in January. The movie takes place in both a fictional African country, and in the United States, where the first female President (a fictional Hillary?) was sworn in to office. Jack Bauer is in the African country, while a coup is about to take place, in which the militia is snatching young boys to fight as soldiers. I commend 24 for bringing this extremely relevent issue to light, one that a number of people may not be aware of.

Overall, the movie was great. The show hit it's stride in doing something uncharacteristic, and it really worked well. There was your usual level of intensity, good acting, and good writing. I can't wait for the next season to start in January.

Entourage:

This season of Entourage has been quite strange, with Vince struggling to get work after Medellin's flop. The finale was probably one of the best episodes of the season. For a while now I was hoping the crew would have some time in New York, and they finally did. The only disappointing aspect of the season was that they didn't go on Queens Boulevard. All's well that ends well, especially when one of the best directors offers you a role in his next movie, which sounded like a cool idea to me. Bring on season 6!

Uncle Mizzle sent me the newly released Opeth cover of Would? (Alice in Chains). It turned out exactly as I imagined it, and of course, it sounds killer.

I read today that the LA Angels offered CC Sabbathia an offer similar to Johan Santana's from last off-season, which puts the Yankees into an interesting spot. Do they pull out the big guns and up the ante? Or do they give up and go for Burnett, Lowe, Peavy, Sheets, or the bat of Mark Texiera? Being a Yankee fan as long as I have, I can only guess that we'll see a bigger offer in the next few days.

GO GIANTS

to read my review of Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy, visit www.guitartechnica.com

-Steve

In the beginning...

2008-11-25T16:13:00.000-05:00

This blog is going to contain our collective thoughts & musings. There will be movie & album reviews, commentary on sports, politics, and society, as well as random collected works of any and possibly all genres. We hope you enjoy reading our random thoughts as they occur on this page.

Peace.