Deep Thought(s), Vol.1

pre script
Required listening while reading this post: Southern Man by Neil Young off of After the Goldrush

On a big detour to soccer practice I had the following thought. Is it a coincidence that the sport with the biggest following in the South, NASCAR, is virtually devoid of Black stars? I know I have a conspiracy theorist streak in me, so feel free to write me off as crazy, but I think that there must be some connection. Most professional sports are now dominated by Black athletes. Now there are obviously still pretty good white guys playing football and baseball (and in the now defunct NHL, but seriously, who cares that its defunct? Nobody), but my hypothesis is that many of the Southern good old boys cannot stand to see the consistant excellence in minorities and now adhere to a sport populated completely by their own kind. This may not be true racism, just more of a comfort factor or something of that sort. Or its entirely innocent and Southerners really are as stupid as we joke and do enjoy watching a cars going around an oval for 2 hours. Or its a different kind of sickness, in that they enjoy watching the cars spin out and flip over. I wouldn't put anything past them.

post script
At practice, when (exulting FME) I described the guys, aside from Colonel, who went to NME as girls I realized I probably do have a sexist streak in me, as Rachel has so deftly pointed out. Not that I believe in any innate advantages either way, I just stupidly continue to use the term girl as an insult. I should have hung that one up after seventh grade. Please take into consideration that I was experiencing flashbacks to the most epic football game I have ever had the privilege of experiencing. And I could not imagine this happening on NME. But many friends went on that one and I shouldn't have said that because I know its not true. Oops, Neanderthal Ben.

post post post script
I just realized I have no credibilty in the music department. But I hope you listened to it anyway. It lent a nice flavor while I wrote.

First Part of Crap Done

So yeah, that choral workshop has come and gone. Very awesome time. This frees up my days after school, which shall now be put to some other use: I'm not sure what yet. But I'm sure I'll find something. What with college essays and apps, recommendations to get, the religion project worth 50% of my final grade, etc....this is looking to just be an uphill struggle. Fortunately I am not letting this destroy my spirit at the moment.

As for that English Paper, I finished reading Thoreau's essays last night (I had to read another one because Mr. Benware didn't want me doing "Civil Disobedience"). I wrote the biography, and the analytical part of the essay. And the bibliography. Now for the reflection.

But yeah, I eagerly await the day I am actually busy. Right now it's just whine because I don't have time to deal with all the shit that's coming up, and refusing to do anything about it. I acknowledge this is inherent in most of humanity, but it's not working. If I do this again I might go insane.

Dr. Gorman or not Dr. Gorman

Here is a playlist I found on iTunes. It was called Gorman's Music and had the description, and I quote "Quite a variety of music here. I've discovered a bunch of bands I'd never heard of using the iTunes music store, and hopefully my iMix will help you do the same."
Pro-Its Gorman arguments
He has spoken in class about iTunes and said that one dollar is quite reasonable for a song you really like. (Last year)
He really likes U2.
The guy has money to burn. (By that I mean on repeat purchases of the same basic song, etc. Oh yeah, and Courtney Love.)
Anti-Its Gorman arguments
Look at some of the music.

When I'm Gone-3 Doors Down
Cochise-Audioslave
Give- Audioslave
Run- Blues Traveler
It's My Life- Bon Jovi
One I Love- Coldplay
You Spin Me 'Round- Dope
I Alone- Live
Unwell- Matchbox Twenty
Love of Strings- Moby
The Great Below- Nine Inch Nails
Head Like a Hole- Nine Inch Nails
Hurt- Nine Inch Nails
All Apologies- Nirvana
Ready, Steady, Go- Paul Oakenfold
Get 'Em Up- Paul Oakenfold
Someday- The Strokes
I Will Follow- U2
Stuck in a Moment- U2
Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2
A Sort of Homecoming- U2
Baba O'Riley- The Who
Gone (Mike Hedges Mix) U2
Discotheque (Mike Hedges Mix) U2
Staring at the Sun (Mike Hedges Mix) U2
The First Time- U2
Numb (Mike Hedges Mix)- U2
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me- U2
The Hands That Built America- U2
Miss Sarajevo - Passengers
Black Math- The White Stripes
Self Esteem- The Offspring
Life Is for Living- Coldplay
My Favorite Things- OutKast
Hey Mama -Black Eyed Peas
We Are All Made of Stars- Moby
Here Without You- 3 Doors Down
Section 2: Bug Powder Dust/Pump Me Up/How High/Poison/Been Caught Stealing/I Get Wrecked - Bomb the Bass/Grandmaster Flash/The Charlatans/Prodigy/Jane's Addiction/Tim Dog Featuring KRS One The Prodigy
Waiting for You- Seal
Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad- U2
Section 8: Sure Shot/Breakdance Electric Boogie/Doomsday of Rap/Ozone Breakdown/Funky Nassau/It's Just Begun - London Funk All-Stars/West Street Mob/Hijack/Renegade Soundwave/The Beginning of the End- The Prodigy
Harder to Breathe- Maroon 5
This Love-Maroon 5
Sgt. Major (Non-Album Bonus Track)- Jet
Been Caught Stealing- Jane's Addiction
Are You Gonna Be My Girl -Jet
Crazy- Seal
Just Because- Jane's Addiction
Underneath It All (Acoustic Live - German Radio)- No Doubt
Just a Girl (Acoustic Live - German Radio)- No Doubt
Underneath It All-No Doubt, Featuring Lady Saw
Stand- R.E.M.
Bad Day- R.E.M.
Lit Up- Buckcherry
The Middle- Jimmy Eat World
Sweetness -Jimmy Eat World
Testify-Rage Against the Machine
Beautiful Day- U2
Look What You've Done- Jet
Are You Gonna Be My Girl (Live)- Jet
Back Door Santa (Non Album Version)- Jet
Losing My Religion- R.E.M.
The Riches- Jane's Addiction
Duck and Run- 3 Doors Down
Starting Over- The Crystal Method
Born Too Slow- The Crystal Method
True Grit- The Crystal Method
The American Way- The Crystal Method
I Know It's You- The Crystal Method
Realizer- The Crystal Method
Broken Glass- The Crystal Method
Weapons of Mass Distortion- The Crystal Method
Bound Too Long- The Crystal Method
Acetone- The Crystal Method
High and Low- The Crystal Method
Wide Open- The Crystal Method
GhettoMusick- OutKast
The Way You Move- OutKast & Sleepy Brown
I Fought the Law- Green Day
Death Letter- The White Stripes
Born Too Slow (Deepsky's Green Absinthe Mix)- The Crystal Method
Yeah! New York (Non-Album Track)- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Paint It Black- U2
Pet- A Perfect Circle
Feel Like Makin' Love (Live)- Bad Company
Temporary Remedy- Ben Harper
I Believe in a Thing Called Love- The Darkness
Digital Bath- Deftones
Layla- Derek & The Dominos
Novocaine for the Soul- Eels
Mr. E's Beautiful Blues- Eels
Take a Picture- Filter
Chick Magnet- MXPX
It's My Life- No Doubt
Man of the Hour- Pearl Jam
Born Too Slow (NuBreed Dub)- The Crystal Method
Black Jack Davey- The White Stripes
Dice- Finley Quaye
Your Lucky Day in Hell- Eels
Bang and Blame- R.E.M.
Block Rockin' Beats- The Chemical Brothers
Cold Hard Bitch- Jet
Rollover D.J.- Jet
Take It or Leave It- Jet
Megalomaniac -Incubus
Rock Star (Jason Nevins Remix Edit)- N.E.R.D.
California- Phantom Planet
Fortunate Son- U2
Cherry Blossom Girl (Radio Mix)- Air
Adorable- Finley Quaye
Something to Say- Finley Quaye
Wish You Were Here Rasputina Above- Blue Man Group
Time to Start- Blue Man Group
Up to the Roof- Blue Man Group & Tracy Bonham
Your Attention-Blue Man Group
Persona Blue- Man Group & Josh Haden
Piano Smasher- Blue Man Group
The Current-Blue Man Group & Gavin Rossdale
Shadows, Pt. 2-Blue Man Group, Arone Dyer & Peter Moore
What Is Rock-Blue Man Group & Peter Moore
The Complex-Blue Man Group & Venus Hum
I Feel Love -Blue Man Group, Tracy Bonham & Rob Swift
Exhibit 13 - Mandelbrot, No. 4 (Hidden Track) Blue Man Group
Transylvanian Concubine- Rasputina
Whatever Happened to My Rock 'n Roll- Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
St. James Infirmary Blues- The White Stripes
Everybody Hurts- R.E.M
Love Burns- Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Mansion on the Hill- A3
Horndog- Overseer Beautiful Clem Snide
Are You Happy Now?- Michelle Branch
Too Bad- Nickelback
We Used to Be Friends- The Dandy Warhols
Scorn- The Red West
Free Bird (Live, Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum)- Lynyrd Skynyrd
Air Suspension- Mocean Worker & Bono
One- Bono, Brian Eno, L'Orchestra Filarmonica Di Torino, Michael Kamen & The Edge
Miss Sarajevo- Bono, Brian Eno, L'Orchestra Filarmonica Di Torino, Luciano Pavarotti, Michael Kamen & The Edge Children of the Revolution Bono, Gavin Friday & Maurice Seezer
Hangin' Around- Counting Crows
Twenty-One- The Red West
Stop-Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Float On- Modest Mouse
Perfect Time of Day- Howie Day
Heaven- Live
Disappear- The Red West
Run- Snow Patrol
Spitting Games- Snow Patrol
Time Is Running Out- Muse
Ride- The Vines
Days Die- The Red West
How to Be Dead- Snow Patrol
Go Your Way- Automatic Black
Lions After Slumber- The Veils
Lavinia- The Veils
My Hero- Foo Fighters
Buddy Holly- Weezer
Hold On to Me- Courtney Love
Take Me Out- Franz Ferdinand
Pavement Cracks (Gabriel & Dresden Mixshow Edit)- Annie Lennox
Price I Pay- Jane's Addiction
Here's to the Night- Eve 6
Fall Down- Toad the Wet Sprocket
Accidentally In Love- Counting Crows
Try- Nelly Furtado
James- Josh Rouse
Chocolate (Edinburgh Live Version)- Snow Patrol
Where Is My Mind?- Pixies
All for You, Sophia- Franz Ferdinand
So Far so Good- Thornley
Let Me Out- Future Leaders of the World
The Joker- Fatboy Slim
Staring At the Sun (Radio Edit)- Simple Kid
Come Around- Marc Broussard
Around the Sun Redux - Album Sampler R.E.M.
German Test Drive- Spymob
Vertigo (Single Version)- U2

post script
You have no idea how long it took to format that.

post post script
Sorry that was so long, but I think that you need the full effect. Its 173 songs if you care.

post post post script
I think its Dr. G.

Shaun of the Dead

And I thought Sky Captain was the last time I'd have this much fun in the theaters for a long, long time. But out of nowhere comes this tiny film from the UK. A zombie movie no less, which I have never had the slightest interest in. But what can I say, the tagline reached out and grabbed me like...well, like so much zombie: "A Romantic Comedy. With Zombies." And that's how I've described the film to everyone who's asked (see...even before I see a film, people come up and they ask "what's that movie about?"), and that's how I will continue to after having seen it.

Because the heart of this movie...the very core, IS a romantic comedy. That's what it is. It's two people who obviously should be together, yet can't work out their differences until (predictably) the very end. It's really not so different from, most recently, Wimbledon. Except there's all these goddamn zombies.And the way they're introduced is really pretty clever.

Because seriously...this is pretty much just showing what normal folks (sorry...blokes) would do if everyone was suddenly being attacked by zombies. The movie's about this guy named Shaun, who works at an electronic supply store. He has a shaky relationship with his girlfriend Liz, a great relationship with his flatmate Ed (who doesn't bring any money to it), and really is in every way the "everyman." So when zombies start taking over, he really doesn't notice. After all, the news is just something you see briefly while flipping through channels. And everyone's pretty tired in the mornings as it is, so they move kinda slowly. At night, anyone doing that outside a pub is just drunk. Oh, and that girl eating the guy in the corner? "Get a room."

So of course, Shaun's girlfriend ends up dumping him, he goes out for some beers, and the next morning he wakes up and before he knows it...there's a zombie in the garden.

And it just takes off from there. And the fun really never stops. It's got the best characters of the year for sure, because their so distinct not just from each other, but from so many other characters from so many other movies. Y'know what this movie kinda is? It's "Clerks," if Dante and Randal had to fight zombies.

But really, you're either gonna dig this movie or ya won't. And there's not much more I can do to convince you. But if the tagline ("A Romantic Comedy. With Zombies.") does as much for you as it does for me, you should be rushing to the theaters to see one of the best films of the year.

I'm A Certified Blogging Genius!

Okay guys and gals, I figured out how I can get as many of you as we want on the blog. Some of you will share contributor names. For example, Cory and Jeff could keep their own profiles and comment with them, but contibute posts under one name, like "Jeff and Cory" or "The Catholic Haters". They could then specify who wrote the post. This may be slightly irritating for them, but it makes room for new people to join. Not everyone will be part of a team, unless we get way too many bloggers. This will be cool. I will set up the new accounts myself this weekend, after I finish my James Baldwin essay and give you your new names and passwords on Monday.

post script
Here are the teams I'm thinking of:
Cory, Jeff, and Alex
Ian, Chuck, and Devon
Adrianna and Doug
Rachel, Misha, and Cynda
Patrick Schneider, Ken, and Dave

This is the easiest compostition I can think of and includes anyone who had at one point was part of, or wanted to be part of, this blog. Also, by combining people who post less frequently, it evens out the distribution of posts. So think of some cool name for your team and comment on it. If not, I'll just make the teams under the above names. Is that okay with everyone?

post post script
I know this might seem a bit unfair because some people don't have to share. If it becomes apparant that we need a change, I will do it. Plus you can always plea to John and he can override me. But let's give this a shot. At least its better than my rotation idea.