April 2007
Virginia Tech and the Implications of “Normality”
While I don’t want to continue beating a dead horse, or I suppose 33 of them (too soon?), I felt it was my responsibility to chime in on the so-called “Virginia Tech Massacre.” Though I completely agree with Mark’s assessment about the incident, I feel that there is another significant problem following in the wake of this undoubtedly brutal crime. The tension and nervousness felt around college campuses is giving way to a growing discourse on “normality.” I just received a rather irritating e-mail from my own university that contained the following line:
Read more on Virginia Tech and the Implications of “Normality”…
You’re Not a Hokie, Unless You Are
When I’ve visited Facebook, watched TV or read the news lately, I can’t help escaping empathetic appeals to the victims of the Virginia Tech mass murder. Although the intent is perhaps good, I can’t help but be angered by the emptiness of many of these symbolic gestures of empathy. Empathy– the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
Massacre at Virginia Tech
Cho, here in America on a student visa, is believed to have purchased his two pistols sometime in the past week in Virginia.
Plagiarists Are Stupid, Throw Rocks At Them.
So, INTERNET.
Yeah, the Internet is pretty sweet. An endless supply of content (re: PORN) for every poor bastard on this pale blue dot, right at my fingertips, for moderate monthly fees. Possibly right up there with the Hot Pocket in terms of human achievement. There’s no doubt that it’s certainly responsible for the rise in the creative forces on the earth, from the blogosphere, to the youtube, there are many great and… not so great artists out there. I can’t really identify a point in history where this many people from any walk of life were able to create and display this much art. Too bad the Internet is also the perfect place to steal art from.
Double Holly
Buddy Holly was the rocknroll pioneer, an original in any sense of the word. He was known fo his vocal hiccup style and thick rimmed glasses, which influenced everyone from Elvis Costello to John Lennon to Drew Carrey.
He sure was great.
Brokaw Unplugged
In this video, there are sixteen inconsistencies and at least 3 indisputable fallacies.
Recipe: French Chocolate Brownies
Time: 1 1/4 hours
12 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces, plus 1 teaspoon melted butter for brushing pan 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/8 teaspoon salt 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, in pieces 3 eggs 1 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2/3 cup lightly toasted walnuts or hazelnuts (optional).
Place a rack just below center of oven and preheat to 300 degrees. Line an 8-inch-square pan with foil and brush with melted butter.
In a bowl, whisk flour and salt together. In top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, or on low power in a microwave, melt remaining butter and chocolate together. Stir often and remove from heat when a few lumps remain. Stir until smooth.
In a mixer, beat eggs and sugar together until thick and pale yellow. Add chocolate mixture and vanilla and mix at low speed until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix 30 seconds, then finish mixing by hand, adding nuts if using. Pour into prepared pan and bake 50 to 60 minutes, until top is dry. Let cool in pan, then lift out and cut into bars or wrap in foil.
Yield: 12 to 16 brownies.
So It Goes.
One of Dr. Vonnegut’s favorite short stories: Occurance at Owl Creek.
And a final poem:
When the last living thing
has died on account of us,
how poetical it would be
if Earth could say,
in a voice floating up
perhaps
from the floor
of the Grand Canyon,
“It is done.”
People did not like it here.
College Laptop Trouble
Like many college students, I use my computer to record notes in classes. It saves paper, and is an efficient and orderly way to keep notes– as opposed to digging through composition books and paper that was at one time a page trying to decipher my own, admittedly poor, handwriting.
Iran Develops Nuclear Butterflies
IRANIAN BORDER/CAPITAL– Tuesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, that rascally womanizer, silenced critics with a turn of his curly straw. “It’s my work,” he say, “and I do it for the pay.” No word from Washington on the implications of his rugged populism.
The Bizarre World of Celebritism: Bowie’s Teeth
Here’s a YouTube documentary about David Bowie’s teeth. Perhaps later this week I will write a post about celebrity obsession and “total” access, but for now you’ll have to extract your own conclusions. (I’m sure you’re capable.) Oh, and there’s nothing after the break.
I told you.
Stephen Colbert in “The Eagle’s Eye”
I made this, look at it:
Macrobiotics with Lennon, Ono, & Chuck
Do you know which side of your carrot is up? Food is transmitted to your body and the vibrations and stuff, so…