I took my two baby brothers to their first proper rock show last night. American Authors and The Mowglis at the Crofoot in Pontiac, Mi. A family friend actually knows the lead singer of A.A.'s mom, so we actually got to go hang out with them after the show. My little brothers got a signed shirt and drumsticks, I got my acoustic signed by the whole band. Really cool, down to earth dudes. As an older sibling, and someone who has been going to shows for a few years, it was so cool to see my little brothers enjoying the vibe. Also, my youngest brother has been an American Authors fan for a while now, listens to them daily, and he was so starstruck when we met the band he couldn't say much more than 'Hi. Great show.' Sometimes it's ok to meet your heroes. Also, total braggadocios moment, when I took my guitar out of it's case to have it signed one of the roadies told me I should play a little bit. I obliged the guy, it was a big room with lots of busy people in it, I didn't think anyone would actually be listening other than the roadie. A couple of girls standing around started clapping/singing along as I got into the verse of 'Too Close' by Alex Clare, but I didn't think anyone was really listening. I finished and turned around to grab my little brothers to see the entire room had been listening! And then a bunch of rock stars told me that I'm a kickass singer, and that yes, those groupies were totally eye-fucking me. I don't think I've ever had my ego stroked so vigorously.
Ugh, I passed out. When I came to, I didn't know where I was. I was lying in a reclining chair and someone was calling my name. I opened my eyes and saw a TV tuned to CNN hanging from an office ceiling. I looked to my left and saw a woman's face looking at me. I was completely bewildered, and extremely anxious for things to start making sense but I didn't know what to do to bring that about. I didn't even know if the TV, the voice calling my name, and the face were related or real. Finally I sensed that it was the woman saying my name, and then it clicked that she was the nurse who had just taken my blood. I remembered that I had been doing well on this, my second experience with donating blood, with only mild sweating and compulsive yawning and less of the wooziness I felt the first time. The last thing I remembered was the nurse saying "Okay I'm going to remove the n----e now" and that was fine I just had to keep my attention focused on the TV, but now there were two TVs and they were fuzzy but that was okay too and -- I don't think I have ever had my brain do a cold reboot like that. The nurse said I was out for thirty seconds and even snoring. It was very stressful to be in a strange environment with no context. I wonder if that is what life is like for people like Clive Wearing. After a few minutes I was back to normal and enjoying my free cookies and juice. For a long time I have had a kind of hospital phobia. It doesn't always happen but when it does I am powerless against it. One time we visited a friend who was recovering from a car crash. She had terrible bruising from the seat belt but that didn't bother me. I couldn't stop thinking about all the tubes going in and out of her, especially the one carrying slowmoving coffee-colored sludge which I knew was taking over for her GI tract. Soon I had taken a seat with my head between my knees, pretending to need to retie my shoes, and everyone, including the patient, was focused on me and asking if I was okay. It's a minor inconvenience and usually easy to avoid, but I am worried that one day it will be me in the hospital or someone who needs me, and I will be too weak and woozy to be of any use. I also take it as a kind of personal affront that my reptile mind betrays me, and want to try and overcome this perceived weakness. I can't think of any better technique than Mithridatism: exposing myself to the dreaded stimulus until I develop a tolerance. Adding some platelets to the supply feels good too.
The worst time I ever passed out was when I tried contacts. (I had a vasovagal reaction - I've had them before, but not so intense.) I actually had a little dream while I passed out and, like you, had to remember where I was and why I was there. I, too, visited a friend in the hospital once and had to go out into the hall and find a chair to sit in. I have read that drinking more water and consuming more salt when you suspect you are entering a situation that will cause a reaction can help, especially if they are truly vasovagal reactions. Good luck. I don't even bother donating blood. About 90% of my post-18-year-old life I've been unable to anyway due to body modifications like tattoos and piercings. Currently I won't be eligible til Sept 5, 2015. They kicked my dad out of the blood bank because he passed out every time so I suspect I have a genetic influence to my reactions too. They also seem to come on when I have low blood sugar.
I recall you mentioned this before, but I can't find where. It was great to see that there is a fancy name for what seems to be my experience, what I was calling a phobia. It is strange because I don't feel fear; the donation process is barely uncomfortable and I believe it is very safe. I have been in hospital rooms with people who have IVs and had no reaction. But once the weirdness starts, it seems inevitable that I will have an episode. Yes, these were both on the questionnaire. I am pretty nearly an ideal donor: O positive, monogamous heterosexual, no recreational needle use, no prescription drugs, no history of disqualifying illness. I have the most boring blood possible. My only red flag is for travel, and I feel obligated to spell out all the places I have visited even though it means a lot of follow-up questions. It was 45 minutes after my appointment before I finally got jabbed, and the whole process was about 90 minutes. I skipped breakfast last time, so this time I was careful to eat well before my appointment. Didn't seem to help, but couldn't have hurt. If/when I go again, I'll try something salty with water just before.I had a vasovagal reaction
body modifications like tattoos and piercings
drinking more water and consuming more salt
Can you feel these episodes coming on? I usually can. Sometimes my vision seems "sharper" than normal and I feel odd. Then, I will find myself becoming very warm. My vision will start to black out. I will feel dizzy. When this happens, I have found that if you get down on the ground or in a chair, it helps a lot. I often still go through much of the physical effects by this point - I go from being so hot I break out into a sweat, to my temperature plummeting and becoming very cold - and often momentarily lose my vision, but remain consciousness. Apparently part of the problem is blood pooling in the legs and not getting to the brain. So if you can get down, and elevate your legs, it will help. My biggest problem with these episodes is always that they bring me to the ground or incapacitate me, so sitting became a natural reaction. I also try to consume food if I feel it happening as it does seem linked with blood sugar for me personally (but not always - a video of in vitro fertilization knocked me on my ass once, for instance). I don't think it's a phobia because I don't think it's all in your head, especially if you don't really feel fear. Syringes and eyes have always made me feel icky so it didn't surprise me that I seem sensitive to/around both, physically. But I've also nearly passed out while exercising or after not having enough to eat, which is why for me I suspect it is linked to blood sugar. My doctor said about as much when I brought it up to her.
That sucks! There was quite a good Life Pro Tip on Reddit yesterday about dealing with needlephobia during blood tests - I imagine it may be helpful if you're interested. I have a rather entertaining story from the first time I donated blood, though if stories of blood and needles make you wary, don't read. It was my first time donating blood, I signed up as soon as I was able with parental consent (I believe I was a freshman or sophomore in high school? I can't remember ages/years, weirdly). I'm not at all fearful of hospitals or needles: being born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate means I'm quite familiar with surgery and surgical equipment (as much as I need to be, anyway). Anyways, the nurse is a nice older woman, and I'd passed all of my tests (I, as always, had excellent iron levels - which for some reason gets compliments from them). The drive was going on in the small gym of my school - so imagine it in a crappy gymnasium. I was lying back, I'd already pumped out the blood and wasn't feeling bad at all. The nurse comes, sees it's full, and takes the needle out of my arm. What step did she miss? If you guessed "removing the tourniquet" - you're right! She'd left it on. As a result, a hilariously long spurt of blood shot from my arm, did a spectacular arc, and landed on the floor. It wasn't any large amount of blood, but seeing it shoot from my arm was... Not worrying (which probably says bad things about me). I found it rather funny. The nurse's arm made a similarly perfect arc as she slammed some gauze on the hole as she took the tourniquet off. She was panicking, asking me repeatedly if I was alright, apologizing, I'm fairly certain she was about to cry (in the years since, I've guessed that these were area volunteers or something, or maybe it was her first time doing that - no idea, but she wasn't a vet who'd seen it all). I'd found it all quite funny, said yes a few times, and then asked her if she was alright. Never had any problems afterward. Didn't stop me from donating blood every time I could - shame that I'm not allowed to anymore.
I have no problem with needles or hospitals, thankfully. But I will never donate blood again. I don't know how much your responses are based on stimuli or knowing about these things, so I won't give details unless you ask, suffice it to say that someone fucked up and I almost lost my arm. I really want to do it again, but I simply can't. I still have pictures from back then and I get a chill from them.
Gee Oxy, that sounds awful -- but good for you for donating blood. You're a life saver. I hope your diagnosis -- betrayal of the reptile mind -- is correct, but I wonder if it's caused by something else. Time will tell. The Mithridatistic solution is a possibility: Spend 5 minutes in Emergency once a week carefully observing and noting everything you see. Then up it to 10 minutes.
They say that each donation saves "up to" three lives. Typical fuzzy promotional language. The Red Cross app lets you join a team and compete to save more lives than anyone else. Just sayin', it's a little lonely on this team. Do they let people wander into the ER to observe, or do you have to be actively bleeding? Maybe I could build up my tolerance with YouTube videos of surgery. A little desensitization could be a good thing, though I am wary of going overboard.You're a life saver.
Spend 5 minutes in Emergency once a week
If someone asks, you could say you were waiting for someone. Maybe when you start to look creepy, you'd have to rotate through all the DC hospitals. I'd join your team, except I'm in Canada. After a tainted blood scandel, blood donation was handed over to a not-the-Red-Cross agency called Canadian Blood Services. I'm sure blood donations save lives. As an O negative, I'm the universal donor. I'll have to get on to it -- if they take me. Last time my hemoglobin was low. The time before that, they didn't like some lipid or other that was floating around (too much rich food in Paris). It's a disincentive to have one's blood rejected twice in a row.
Hey, I too am an O- If Hubski ever needs blood, we can come to the rescue.
The bummer about being the universal donor is that while we can give blood to anyone, we can only receive it from another type O- We can be there for each other in this regard.
Don't lose any blood until we get this worked out. The US-Canada thing could be a problem. (tee hee) I suggest that all of hubski create an organ donation registry so we can all be there for each other. Oh wait, usually you are dead when you donate an organ. Maybe we better just use the services that are locally available. That is until we can create an internet blood flow program. (sounds like a potential love song)
Hey now, I'm not the one that ordered "sangria" the last time we were out together.
You're lucky I'm not there. Last time I barely made it out alive. I'm not kidding. I turn in to a maniac in Vegas.
Sorry to hear of your untimely demise ;-)Last time I nearly made it out alive. I'm not kidding.
Ha. Edited, thanks. Really though, I think I almost died.
Actually that sounds amazing. Best bachelor party I ever attended was in Jaco, Costa Rica. It was kinda like "the hangover", except, ya know, real as fuck. Still the worst thing that happened on that trip was when a lady on the plane ride home wanted to show me pictures of her rain forest adventure, all the while sporadically laughing like an idiot at the in flight movie, "grownups". So tired and hanging like hell. Wanted to kill myself right then and there. Anyway I suspect this one will be tamer. I'm older, lamer. My friends are older, lamer. Also, $200 doesn't buy you enough candy to kill a horse in Vegas like it does in Jaco.
Cheers. The pub is open early today. Let me just add some Bailey's to my morning coffee before I head off on my bicycle into the gloaming. Today my friend, an ICU doctor, is coming to my class to give a three-hour improv workshop to digital media entrepreneurs. I better finish this drink and go move furniture. Have a nice day hubski!
I finished Infinite Jest today. I've gotten through Gravity's Rainbow and Underworld with nary a scratch, but this really, really fucked me up.
Also, please tell me what you think about it, I'd love to know if you think I'm off or how you approached it, any opinions I can get are totally valued.
I would love to and I really enjoyed your post, but it's going to take me a day or two. I'm going out for pre-birthday celebrations in about 30 minutes, and helping a friend move tomorrow morning. But I promise ya you'll have something by Saturday :)
Okay, like, I wasn't exactly expecting to just put it down, go 'golly gee that was good' and move on, but I can seriously imagine myself spending a lot of time analyzing this book. Like basically re-reading it. I'm a huge pomo fan, so I don't like stylistic whims being wantonly described as tricks (which is a dumb thing to say, and something I have heard from many pomo critics), and I think, with IJ, like, the very underpinnings of the aims of pomo lit is fully realized, much like in Gravity's Rainbow. To contrast, I love Zadie Smith, but White Teeth is indebted almost exclusively to the stylistic flourishes, but is an obviously somewhat theoretically immature work (which makes sense cause she was so young when she wrote it, and not to take away the fact that is was an astonishingly empathetic and well-curated novel). Underworld suffered from the apt critique that DeLillo's voice was clearly the puppeteer behind every character, but DFW's aim is different, he is clearly present in every syllable, and this is what makes the whole novel magnetic, for over 1000 pages. I am absolutely amazed at how it felt so alienating, inviting and deeply, truly, human, all at the same damn time. I really, genuinely felt like I was connecting deeply with the human being behind the words. I find myself very often getting so wrapped up in the world an author has created, and if this doesn't happen I can get very bored very quickly, and although this world felt so alienating and isolated from the individuals occupying it, I could feel the sweet, sweet person behind all the brute, cold analysis trying to be the gentle and deformed little Mario. And like, upon reflection, so much is just poking out to me now like "SERIOUSLY, WHY DIDN'T YOU UNDERSTAND THIS WHEN YOU FIRST READ IT" like the triple-crossing spies who, in actuality, removed from the political circumstances surrounding them, are not even spies in the first place, but sincere individuals trying to operate in their most ethical and moral interests. I'm just going to spend all day on thehowlingfantods.com
Here's my thoughts. I've read more DFW after reading Infinite Jest but in my opinion not enough. I was supposed to read a book by Zadie Smith (probably Teeth) and never did. Looking at her on Wiki I'm not familiar with her at all. I've heard people be enthused about her though. (Sometimes people being enthused about something puts me off.) We definitely experienced IJ differently...but that's not a bad thing. So I'll tell you the story of how I came to IJ. It was gifted to me by a friend, I heard it was supposed to be brilliant, and I tried reading it. Probably got about 20 pages in. Abandoned it/forgot about it for a year or so. See it again, pick it up, figure I should try again. This time maybe I got 50 pages in. Things that prevented me from getting into the novel right away: -lack of familiarity w/DFW's style and lack of comprehension regarding how important it is to read the footnotes; -admittedly, a rather apparently-haphazard and chaotic beginning. Also, I was having a very bad time reading extended prose pieces at the time, which is all on me. Did enjoy the tone. Picked it up for the third time. Started reading it. It was good. Had a family member go into rehab at pretty much the same time I'm reading the novel. Visited said family member and actually witnessed AA/family of AA meetings for the first time. See this reflected in the novel. See how exactly, precisely, true novel is to the spirit and culture of AA. Am fascinated and totally plugged in. Realize book is about addition. (Sidebar: Lots of people say this book is about entertainment. I say it's about addiction. These two things may not actually be that different. My opinion is probably also influenced by this background I'm giving you.) Already had been interested in/more engaged in book to this point, now am at 100% fully throttle. Disclosure, re: analysis: Yes I think you could analyze the shit out of this book. When I read something and I feel I haven't fully grasped everything in it (which, honestly, I don't think anyone can on a first read of IF), I 'cheat' aka I do research. Start w/Wikipedia and outsource from there. So I did do some more reading on themes in the book, I also wanted to make sure I had my timelines right and so on. I also talked to the person who gave me the book about the book (he's a brilliant brilliant person). All in all: found book hilarious as shit, but cerebral as hell. Reading it the first time around WAS difficult. I suspect reading it again will be substantially less so. I think the book has done a remarkably good job at mostly not becoming dated, videotapes aside. (In fact some parts of the book it's astounding to realize were written in/before 1996 - they speak much more modernly.) DFW is one of those authors whose work I read and I just wish like anything that I could be that brilliant at writing any how any time at all ever. The kind of author that drives me to despair with just how god damn good he is. I suppose I'll have to check out that site now. Another disclosure: if I don't think about something for a few months or more, even if I really do like it, almost everything about it becomes fuzzy in my memory. I have to review summaries and/or the text itself to bring things back sharply. Just saying because if you bring up anything super super specific in this discussion (assuming it continues), I might be like "WTF" and then need to look it up before I "remember" it. Fortunately, we're on the internet, so it's actually a lot easier to hide this than it is in person. ANYWAY. Can you also talk to me about what other modern/pomo authors you read, since it seems to be something that you are passionate about and actively pursue? Let's talk about literature and what genres you like (and don't).
I would have loved to have a more thorough experience with AA before having read IJ, I struggled with addiction some when I was younger, and have seen many people go down that path and never come back, so those parts were particularly striking for me. But the Kirkegaardian "leap of faith" and "what you practice is who you are" theme was beautifully done throughout the entire novel. Also, I never read/saw Hamlet. Apparently I should reallllly do that. There's definitely the strong presence of the lines between entertainment and addiction overlapping in an unhealthy way, and if you haven't read it, E Unibus Pluram was an article he wrote before IJ was published, and is probably derived from a lot of what he was thinking about while working on IJ, but with focus on television viewership and writing. Oh man, yeah, it was totally astounding how just, with so much distance socially and technologically we have between the 90s and now, it was still on pointe. I especially found the section about how video-telephoning was a commercial failure, while it wasn't so prescient as to have actually happened, the comments on confusion and mixing of private/public life is spot-on. I'm really glad I'm not alone on this. I will pile through things, make notes, re-read, highlight, do external reading, and two months later I couldn't quote a line to save my life. There's a bunch of resources on howlingfantods.com, but,if you want a lil refresher (which did wonders for me considering I hadn't read the beginning section in like 3-4 months now, and jesus christ so much important stuff happened in the first 100 pages that didn't make any sense initially) this is a page-by-page summary and this is it in chronological order. As for general pomo:
It's a vague net cast on a lot of stuff, but, for lit, it's legacy has cast a strange shadow for younger authors trying to move it forward, which was what Franzen addressed in Why Bother?, but I think DFW pulled off beautifully with IJ. Even then, that was still 20 years ago, and I'm at a loss to say what's happening now cause I'm honestly just trying to get through my reading list in my free time. biiig Pynchon fan, haven't read Gaddis but he's on my list, Burroughs is a developed taste, DeLillo is good, but not like, incredible. I think that contemporary and experimental Latin/South American lit def should be included, like Savage Detectives and Hopscotch, although my exposure and knowledge about that niche is a little limited. I would def check out Crying of Lot 49 if you haven't, that's usually my go-to when recommending. I think the book has done a remarkably good job at mostly not becoming dated
if I don't think about something for a few months or more, even if I really do like it, almost everything about it becomes fuzzy in my memory.
Haven't been on here for a while as I went back to israel to visit the family for the feast. Met with many people from the burner community that I learned to love during my last visit. A very open minded and dynamic group of people. If you were ever planning to visit israel, make sure it's next year during the shvuot holidays next year. We are having our second regional burn which was AMAZING this year. I am flying back for it if I get off from work! During my last visit I also went to check on a group of people I met at a festival in Hungary. Turns out they like to organize illegal psytrance raves. I never imagined to find myself on a mainly arab illegal rave in the docks of Haifa. I was so surprised! It's good to see an alternative scene building up. Specially in the arabic community :) I am starting my PhD next week! The prof. and colleague in the department were very supportive in helping me get everything organized. I am so excited to work in such a motivated group! Back in germany it's getting cold >< a shock after the summer-like temperature in Israel... I went and bought two pairs of winter leather boots. Did I mention I love shoes? I also love seeing women is nice shoes. Specially high heels, as long as they are capable of walking in :D Sadly, those horrible Uggs are still present on the market >> Ending my long day with some Alt-j and a wild berry/lemon Hookah. I also don't have an Internet connection at home for the next few months. But I am starting to see the positive side of it...
Good luck! I just submitted my NSF application. The road before us stretches far and wide...I am starting my PhD next week! The prof. and colleague in the department were very supportive in helping me get everything organized. I am so excited to work in such a motivated group!
Good luck. I had a predoc fellowship from American heart association. I had to resubmit once, but in the end I got two years of full support. It's good for your career to get some support of your own. I doubt I would have the funding I have today without that experience. It teaches you grant writing, how to respond to a critique, and tells future reviewers that you're someone others thought worthy of throwing money at.
The writing about yourself part is important in all kinds of ways. It's usually not so much your "self" as your professional background and your research intentions. Some of them want to know whether you're self-reflective. Can you see your life as a coherent story? Do you have vision and substance? Are you a good investment? That's what I think they're looking for? b_b?
That's sounds like a great time. I'm on a greyhound right now to meet up with some burners I met over the summer for a couple concerts in Chicago. One called the freakeasy has me stoked. Put on by some Chicago burners, it's at a three stage venue and there's a ton of performance arts going on to. I'm seeing Kayla scintilla the night before too which will be fun. The burners I'm meeting up with are some of the most enjoyable people, we only spent a weekend together but they feel like family, I'm sure that vibe goes with most people part of the community.
Since seeing kalya scintilla (which is Merkaba btw) this summer at SUN I have been listening to his music all the time. It just happened that I took MDMA before his and kaya project's set. WOW, the music is fantastic!! Enjoy your time and don't hesitate to flow with the idea of gifting (without expecting anything in return). Anything can be a gift :)
What a crazy week I'm in. The good kind of crazy, though! CJSW's Funding Drive started last Friday, and because of that I got to meet Chris Hadfield very briefly, and made my on-air debut yesterday. It is very exciting to be at the station now, everyone is happy and has that common unifying goal. I get to meet so many programmers and help them out with their show and goal. I also went out hiking Saturday! Was as exhausting as it was beautiful: And my parents flew in yesterday, so tomorrow I will finally see them after ten weeks of not seeing them. Looking very forward to that.
Update from last Friday: I wasn't fired, but I was left with a few different options. I'm resigning from my job effective this Friday. Will be my first real time unemployed in about 4 years. Also, I'm thinking about withdrawing from one of my classes because I really don't like it and one of the two people who teach it.
Hah. Student leadership positions in a radio station barely pay as it is, there definitely won't be any package. I'm before the penalty but I'll have to take two professional technical electives next semester instead of one if I were to withdraw from this course.
having growing pains with my family. they want me to be the golden child and fully mature but not actually put time towards BEING the golden child because it takes away from me being their child?? i'm trying to adult but the adults think i'm still a child. all with 2000 miles of distance.
i'm very much throwing myself into my career and my grad studies which in turn makes me less responsive to other people. i sense a work-life balance lecture coming very soon from then. i think it's just a difference in values. edit: we've also been butting heads on religion and family values a bit recently. so there's that.
I can partly relate to the religion/family values part. I am an ex-Muslim. And it would break my fathers heart to hear me say that I don't believe in God and think that Islam and other religions are a hoax. After much trouble with that, I decided to keep some things to my self. In some cases it's better to go your own way I guess. About the work-life balance I was expecting the situation to be the opposite. You partying too much and not taking things serious (which was the accusation of my parents. In my case it was partially true and I later realized that I needed to figure that out for myself. In your case I would say that you should try to adjust yourself. I think that at some point you will feel that there is something missing in your life (human interaction) and try to adjust. Don't forget that your parents only want the best for you. They want to give you advice that is based on their experience and you should listen to it. But in the end, you should go your own way, because that's how we evolve :)
Yep. Same but Jews. Add a healthy dose of Reform Judaism's Zionism Lite and you have my situation. I take shit way too seriously. I think it's making me very fragile, especially emotionally. I've cried twice in the past 2 or 3 months over not thinking my work was good enough. I'm waiting for the gray hairs hahaha. I get out some but probably not as much as I should or as much as others might like.
I live in a major city so I do a lot of foot travel during the week. i'm also lucky that my office has good natural light. i lift weights to keep fit but that's inside and usually at night.
I fucking love Taylor Swift's new album, like, with a love that I normally reserve for hiphop albums that I've been waiting for for months. I finally got an internship, designing a website for the Business school with a couple of other people. I'm pretty excited, my slump is dissipating at this point.
Brother, am I? CHECK THIS SPACE SOON, FOOL. Edit: Okay so first I'm just gonna link my personal guide to hiphop, which is a primer of sorts that you can use. Other suggestions I would add: K'naan, and his albums: Dusty Foot Philosopher, and Troubadour Wu-Tang Clan, and, well, everything they've ever put out. Let me know if you don't vibe with any of these, Cumol, and I can shoot you a fresh batch and see if you dig any of it.
Mmmm... Wiz Khalifa is a big disappointment to me. I think he had a lot of potential, even though I couldn't really vibe with his subject matter. But then he disappeared, fell off the map, came back, and dropped what is, inarguably, the worst mix tape I've ever had the displeasure of absorbing into my ear drums. Just...absolute garbage, oh god. If you like Wiz, retain your opinion of him and don't listen to 28 Grams.
OK. I love Rolling Papers. Frankly I feel like I can relate with a lot of it (not the money part, but the relationship part, I don't know - album spoke to me at a certain time in my life when I needed to hear it). But then, yeah, after that he dipped and I hadn't seen anything more form him. I was going to seek him out but wasn't even sure what, if anything, he had done since then. Good to know.
Help me out with some questions. In my opinion, Chance > Childish Gambino. I think you wrote a post about "Because the Internet" and kind of stated the album was a bit over the place. Where do you think Kendrick Lamar fits into this spectrum? I am asking because I have listened to all 3 (although to be honest I just got into checking Chance out this morning) and I'm trying to figure out if I can buy 1 album from these 3, which I should buy, or if I can buy 2, which I should buy. I actually saw Kendrick Lamar live but it didn't stick with me because it was a huge stadium and I only knew like two of his songs. Also, seriously, how good is 1989? Is it worth a buy or a listen? (Right now I found Acidrap full length on youtube so I'm checking it out.) I guess I am thinking about acquiring some new music, most of the "new' music I have bought lately has not been new to me, but just "I WANT TO HAVE THIS ON MY IPOD!" The most new-to-me music I have bought recently would have to be Nicki Minaj's "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded the Re-up" and I feel it's like, 50/50, even though I lovedloveloved Pink Friday. Besides that I re-bought some Postal Service and Death Cab but both of these bands are so old to me that there is nothing novel, really, about having the music on my iPod now. Except that it's there, when I want it. Since this is Pubski and therefore I can ramble, I'll add in: MUSICIANS WHOSE ALBUMS I HAVE REGRETTED BUYING Gotta say it. Corinne Bailey Rae (the self-titled) man. Everything on that album annoys me. A Best of Talking Heads album. I've found I have to be in the right mood for the talking heads - even though I totally believe David Byrne is brilliant, brilliant brililant. The Blight and the Bloom by Two Gallants. Gotta admit it, I didn't realize it then, but I basically bought it to listen to it because of a guy I liked. Neither the crush on the guy or the album lasted.
So. First off, you can still download Acid Rap for free since it's a mixtape. Off of datpiff. It's just a really high quality mixtape to the point that it's almost an album. So go with that, because it's his best album in my opinion anyways (you can tell from my snapchat). Which narrows us down to two: Childish Gambino and Kendrick Lamar. But really it only narrows us down to one, because Kendrick Lamar is literally the only legitimate choice. Which means you need to get Good Kid M.A.A.D. City. Like, right fuckin now. And listen to it from end to end, and if you can, don't do anything else while you're listening. Just listen. It's one of the best conceptual albums I've ever listened to, and probably my favorite hiphop album of all time. It's still in my rotation constantly, and I go through music like I go through shirts in a day, so this is saying something. If you REALLY wanna listen to Gambino still, you can check out his mixtape, also free: STN MTN/Kauai. At least, STN MTN is free, you can listen to Kauai on Spotify. Pretty hype at first, not all that memorable in retrospect. Which is how most of Gambino's stuff goes, to be honest. Second question: Yes, I think 1989 is definitely that good. But I could also be biased from exhaustion. Because I fuckin love Run the Jewels 2. Hell, that shit got a 9.0 on Pitchfork. Pitchfork. That being said. Even though the verse: "A revolutionary bangin' on my adversaries And I love Dr. King but violence might be necessary Cause when you live on MLK and it gets very scary You might have to pull your AK, send one to the cemetery" with a RIDICULOUS beat in the background that makes me want to flip cars over, forty minutes of that shit gets exhausting. 1989 is just damn fun and catchy in comparison. Genuine entertainment. It's not revolutionizing music, but I wouldn't give it a pass just because it isn't. Also I love pissing my roommate off by playing it don't judge me- CLASS IS STARTING GOTTA GO. Also to make sure you know I wrote all this shit down, _refugee_
You should check out Anthony Fantano's theneedledrop videos. He's by far the greatest music/album critic on YouTube and he's a legend to pair with Nardwuar- eightbitsamurai I wonder if you know him? Test out any band or album on his channel, I bet he's got something on 'em, from any genre. He focuses on hip-hop and rap though. watching his critique has taught me a lot about music and appreciation, and he's super well-spoken.
Word, you guys are great. I assume I can't download any of these things direct to iTunes (aka onto an iPhone or iDevice) though? Those are my main/only listening apparatuses, and although it's not technically true, I encourage you to treat me as though I do not really have a computer. [1] [1] I have a laptop. It has no disk drive. It has no iTunes. It will die soon. I bought an iPad to replace it. Foolish me, believing that a tablet could replace a computer - for me, personally, it cannot. So the laptop is going to last until it dies, but I won't have another for a bit, I'm afraid.
****-**** approved design deck for new app. ****-**** wanted to present to internal team. ****-**** asked for Powerpoint file. YOU JUST PAID ME HOW MUCH OVER 90 FUCKING DAYS TO COMPLETELY DESIGN A NEW APP FROM SCRATCH AND YOU THINK I DID IT IN POWERPOINT? You get paid how much to oversee the design and development process for your digital / interactive shit and you don't know these things?! I was just reading the thread on budgeting and I seriously wonder how anything gets done successfully ever. Which reminds me, I gotta make sure the ie8 shivs and banners and shit are in my demos for them. Fucking hell.
Still doing the whole T25 thing. Sorta sick of it, as I'm a bit under the weather, but I'm keeping at it. I have to travel for work tonight. Not really looking forward to it. But, I guess it might be nice to have an evening alone in a hotel room. Quiet. I saw Wilco perform on Saturday night and when leaving the show I said aloud to my wife, without even realizing it, "that's what I was supposed to do." -I chickened out and never thought I was good enough. I think being a professional artist is the bravest thing. I have mucho-respect for artists that make their art their #1 occupation.
a little early to start drinking! Beer, at least. I just woke up from a 45-minute "nap" which was my night's sleep– sometimes, there is just not enough coffee in the world for the amount of work to be done. It explains why kids in my area with access to study drugs create massive drug-peddling enterprises instead of taking the stuff themselves, because apparently the demand is high enough to offset the value of their grades. Hm. They seem quite happier than me. Really in the mood for the summer right now. The beach. Or a donut, or something.
Maybe they somehow manage to get good-to-decent grades without the drugs. OR, maybe, as they are interested in lucrative careers in drug dealing, they do not see much value in school. After all I don't think anyone asks drug dealers for their resumes.
I knew a guy who got his psychiatry degree primarily through speed. His dad, also a psychiatrist, gave him a prescription for amphetamines. Then, for when he did too many amphetamines, he'd inject himself with thorazine. Better living through chemistry.
I find it highly unlikely that they can't study without it, I find it very likely that they have forgotten how to study without it and without it, it is very hard to do the work to figure out how. That's what I've found stimulant abuse does: makes you believe the stimulants are responsible for your work, and then when you quit them, robs you of the motivation to do (anything) the work to remember how to do work yourself, on your own. It's like a double kicker. Makes you feel like you can do anything, but that you can't do anything without it.
I'd argue about the "better" part, coming from the perspective of one who has absolutely done too much amphetamine at points in life. If you gotta shoot yourself up to bring yourself down you're doing it wrong. Boy has an ex who was prescribed amphetamines and sleeping pills. Take one to stay up take the other when she didn't want to any more. Yeah it's convenient but I don't think it's great.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Better_Living_Through_Chemistry My personal opinion is that anyone whose study routine involves thorazine is pretty much rawkin' the Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas tip.
DuPont, how appropriate for me. Did you ever watch Better Off Ted? Reminds me of Veridian Dynamics from the show:Commercial: Veridian Dynamics. Doing the right thing. It's important. What does it mean in business? We have no idea. We know what wrong is. Actually, no, we don't. Because we're a successful company, not some boring ethics professor. Veridian Dynamics. Right and Wrong. It means something. We just don't know what.
On both points: sure. Power to 'em I guess. Just kinda uncomfortable when it seems, at least externally, that they're doing things right somehow while you're suffering–even if you were on their drugs :D