11/2

http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/shel_silverstein/poems/14836
Shel Silverstein's "Where the Sidewalk Ends" is a poem that has always left quite the impression on me. The content of this poem suggests that innocence is something we are all searching for. We all want to live carefree lives like those of children. Some may consider this a cop-out, arguing that adults need to stick to the sidewalk, the agenda. But I understand Shel's logic regarding a more liberal lifestyle. The average adult NEEDS to stray from their routine every once in a while.
Children in all their glorious innocence harbor no fear towards the real world. Some would say it is ignorance, I would say it is intelligence that they know where the sidewalk ends.
Poetry is still a very important art form. I just believe that with the recent advancements in technology its form of media is changing. The internet, of course, has played a major role. Perhaps it is because I am fresh out of high school, but to me it seems that there are less poetry books being published in the past couple of years. I am not sure whether that has to do with more being documented online or not. Also music, the most prominent source of poetry, is a rapidly growing industry online. These recent changes factor into the evolution of poetry.

10/30

Halloween is awesome. It is complete bullshit that anti-establishment advocators would even protest such a harmless holiday. Halloween is a holiday for all ages to go out and have themselves a good time. It does not have to be expensive. Costumes can be homemade and candy can be recycled. C'mon, you know you have some Halloween candy left over from last year. That is what you give to the trick-or-treaters. You then go trick-or-treating yourself and get the good stuff.
For slightly more mischeivous teenagers there are always more fun events to get yourselves into. Tee-peeing that bitchy girl in your class is a must on this joyous occasion. And no one can pass up the chance to egg underclassmen.
Oh and Halloween in college is even better. You get to do all of these things while sipping on some drank... This year I went as a boxer. I was somewhat unprepared. I regret not getting a better costume ahead of time. It is okay though. I have already gotten a headstart on next year's costume... cupid.

10/28

For today's blog, I would like to discuss sarcasm. Personally I am a big fan. But oftentimes I find myself being sarcastic in inappropriate situations. For example, it is never appropriate to be sarcastic with one's parents. They do NOT find it funny. I can attest to this personally. My sarcasm has gotten me nowhere in arguements and it is currently the reason my mom has cut me off. Do I take it too far? Possibly.
On the other hand I am very critical of other people's sarcasm. I like to think of myself as the king of sarcasm and angst builds up inside of me when I am outdone. My friends have witnessed my aggression when they try and joke. Maybe its a different kind of humor that I harness, or perhaps I have no tolerance for other people's jokes. Narcissistic? Probably.
Sarcasm is a tool we all utilize, teenagers probably too much. It is most certainly a defense mechanism and a way to make people feel better about themselves. Now is this necessarily a bad thing? Not if used with discretion.

10/26

I certainly do not doubt the insanity of said musical geniuses. They are crazy about their love-music. Bichet nearly killing a man just to prove that he was confident in his musical ability cannot be overlooked. All the great artists are known to have an unmatched passion for their work. If anything should come in between them then there shall be hell to pay. Oftentimes this is misconceived for being clinically insane.
While some may want to discharge or downgrade the correlation of insanity and talent, they would be sorely mistaken. Abstract minds such as those in the music industry have experienced troubling issues not only feeding the talent but also the insanity. For instance, Biggie (a.k.a. Notorious B.I.G.) rapped about growing up a "fucking screw up", referring to his impoverished, drug-trafficking, hood. He used his personal experience to make it to the big time, but at the peak of it all he was gunned down by the very subject of most of his songs. Okay so perhaps that is not the best example. But how then how do you explain Kurt Cobain? He danced the line between talent and insanity nearly all his life, often mixing the two with the help of his drug addiction. He was known for using LSD and more infamously heroin, which eventually killed him.
History has proven that musical geniuses and geniuses of any kind for that matter are extremely gifted in their art, but also have considerable trouble in other aspects of their life.

10/23

I want to fly. I want to jump of a cliff and fly. No this is not a pcp-inspired dream. This is on my bucket list. Before I die I will fly.
The sport is called wingsuit flying. Jumpers use a special wingsuit to glide through the air. It is different than your average skydive or base jump in the sense that the wingsuit slows you down so as to give you more free-fall time. The suit's wings catch the air and make it easier for you to control the direction of travel. I first saw videos of the sport a long time ago and ever since have been intrigued. Recently I learned more, when 60 minutes aired a piece on it. Apparently these divers not only have to be experienced jumpers, but also experienced climbers because oftentimes where they jump from is not accessible by automobile.
The dangers of this sport kind of go without saying. 200 mph freefalls only inches from death may sound intimidating to the average person, but to these thrillseekers it is just another day in the office.

10/21

While I have never heard of Stax Records, I have heard of nearly all the artists to come from their studios. The great Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Booker T. and the MGs are among the most prominent artists to come from this soulful record company. Stax Records took the once controversial work of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and Solomon Burke and made their music more widely accepted by the masses. The Memphis laid back feel eased people's minds and broadened their horizons.
Stax Records helped bridge the gap between the races in the 1960s. White people were for the first time intrigued by what was widely considered African American music. The smooth sounds of this era soon spread amongst all races coast to coast. There is no questioning Stax's great influence on the present day music scene. As the article states there would probably be no rap or even some rock if Stax Records did not exist.

10/19

This past weekend I went to go see what all the hype was about. Where the Wild Thing Are was awesomely indie. "The line for Where the Wild Things Are looks like Radiohead had sex with Urban Outfitters" accurately describes the people whom director Spike Jonze was attempting to attract. The commercials, while appealing to little kids, suggest a deeper underlying meaning. It makes those of us who remember reading the book as a child question why we are still longing to get away from it all. Why can't we live on an island like Max?
Author Maurice Sendak exposes the trials and tribulations of everyday life via this little boy who gets in an argument with his mother and runs away. An island with crazy looking "monsters" becomes his home away from home. But these monsters are not normal. They are mysteriously simplistic beings whose sole desire is to have fun. And so Max leads them in their carefree frolicks through the trees.
But all good things must come to an end. The stress of becoming a leader and having to please everyone can be come too great a pressure, especially on an 8 year old. Jonze's colorful cinematography and Sendak's blissful writing style were the reason for such an eclectic group of people who ordinarily would have scoffed at paying $10 to go see a movie.