124 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(01/19/12 2:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The release of Young London’s self-titled album is some attempt at glee-pop electronic with Owl City-esque vocals in the form of a guy-girl duo. It is reminiscent of Radio Disney, though I would not recommend it even for those who enjoy Radio Disney.The Boston duo’s debut is a launch in the wrong direction. With track titles as cliche as “Summer Valentine” and “U Got Me,” their approach was an obvious mimicry of pop songs and sounds we’re already familiar with and loathe.Aside from the album sounding like one continuous song at an underage club where you’d pay $12 to get in to play in foam and drink a kiddy cocktail, there was little creativity in making the album distinct. With Katy Perry, Robyn and Lady Gaga in the playing field, there’s simply no room for what Young London is trying to do.
(01/16/12 8:56pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Though the popular blogging site has been up and running since its foundation in 2007, Tumblr has never failed to remain under the social radar.Self-defined less as a blog-hosting site and more as a large “sharing” network, the site enables users to take on a customary URL to post pictures, text, videos and projects for personal, professional, social or private reasons.The malleability of the site is what empowers bloggers beyond any other blogging site.With little pressure to produce original content, Tumblrers can post anything from their Instagram photos of cats and/or girlfriends, to web articles and features from large corporations like Newsweek, the Huffington Post and Vogue.And what’s more is that with the coming of the new Facebook format, there are, no-doubt, a few Tumblr-drawn influences.The predominantly larger population of users are those using it for personal reasons. Though many Tumblr users have a greater tendency to post pictures, gifs and other visuals to their website, the site can also be used to put up the most personal of personal items: private phone pictures, tangents about their bosses, letters to unrequited loves or angry responses to requited loves you’re too scared to confront.For a long time now, Tumblr has been an emotional landfill. The site is a sanctuary of sorts, in the sense that if your URL is something you don’t give out, you can post ideas as tasteless, profane or inappropriate as you want.You can put up pictures you’re too embarrassed to admit you like, paintings you wish you made or uninhibited tributes to that celebrity everyone hates. It is a miniature Id.Tumblr is for an endless supply of shirtless hipsters with cats, girls with bloody knees and pretty dresses or generic photos of unknown persons smoking cigarettes, sitting at typewriters or softly stroking white horses.Tumblr is another world, a world that exists divorced of your real world, in which you can create an ulterior fake-life for things you might only pretend to be interested in. It is a void to throw your infatuations into, under the veil of a profile that rarely gives a first and last name.It’s a cathartic, self-documenting collage for as many portraits of Emma Watson as you want, as many Kafka quotes you don’t completely understand and as many self-indulgent pieces of poetry that you care to write with the comfort that someone, anyone, will see it from the surplus of anonymous followers you’ve accumulated.Tumblr is a secret because what you put up is something you don’t care to put on Twitter or Facebook.Tumblr is a secret because you know your profile isn’t necessarily you — a version of you, perhaps — but not you.It is a confidence that is neither profound, authentic nor deeply-dangerous, but here, you don’t have to worry about preemptive disapproval.Tumblr is knowing that someone out there underneath the same guise as you has decided to glance and possibly care about your blog roll.
(01/06/12 6:27pm)
gdagsafsa
(01/06/12 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I’ve always been terrible at New Year’s resolutions.From childhood, I would think long and hard about composing the perfect list of improvements I could make for myself.It seemed that these resolutions were not only to better my year, but to prove to others I was making great efforts to be better at whatever I was doing.Some part of me, and perhaps some part of you, always feels like New Year’s has an unspoken capability to destroy a “former you.”Somehow, when we’re writing down these little numbered lists, we feel self-condemning yet empowered. This is the opportunity with which we can reinvent ourselves.The reality is, resolutions are less of a way we can improve ourselves and more of a way to say, “Na-na, look at what I’m doing as a better human being.” If you make a resolution, everyone needs to know about it.Furthermore, if you don’t make a resolution, you’re looked at as a kind of defier of societal norms.Rather than a personal set of goals, New Year’s resolutions became a competition amongst everyone, and your bullet list would become something expected of you and something to show off.Resolutions for 2012 are already trying to surpass each other, like “Oh, I’ve given up meat,” and subsequently, “Oh, I’ve given up gluten, dairy, poultry and all animal products in general.”It’s all about upping the ante. Everyone’s lists are self-declarations of personal superiority in ambitions we have yet to fulfill, and let’s be honest: We probably won’t.I think that this overarching pressure in yearly goals had me so confused by the time I was older that my resolutions would start to cancel each other out, as I went through different versions of myself year by year.As it turned out, I was just trying to up my own ante, and in the process my resolutions became counterproductive and filled me with a displaced identity crisis.One year I wanted more video games, and the next I wanted to play less. Another year I would resolve to dress more stylishly, and the next year I would tell myself to never stress out about an outfit. I’ve been know to write down “be more rational,” then “be less rational.”This year, I wrote a small list in a notebook that I will reveal to no one. If these goals are supposed to be for myself, then they’re for my eyes only. But I am hoping you’ll get to see the benefit of my resolutions right here on this page.— ftirado@indiana.edu
(12/11/11 10:23pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I don’t listen to instructions well. I’m a bad listener, I’m a poor text-responder and I never take criticism to heart. For that matter, I’m also terrible at taking compliments, asking people for help and knowing when I need a break. Generally, I’m poor at reading signals or body language in any circumstances.Where many of these traits are things that I should probably work on and possibly change about myself, there’s one trait I’ll always keep with me. I never let people tell me what to do.Saying things like this has the tendency to make me sound like a third-grader, and I’m okay with that. Everyone should make decisions for themselves — good or bad. You learn from what you mess up and gain from your successes, but most importantly, hesitation is worthless.All my life, people, parents and friends have told me that I’m too busy, that I have too many interests and that my goals largely overshoot the product. But everyone should overbook themselves. Never will there be a time when you look back and say, “Gosh, I wish I hadn’t done that internship,” or “Gee, I wish they hadn’t hired me.” Your experiences are not merely resume-builders, but conversation points, parts of your learning experience — these are the things that set you apart in a sea of applicants for whatever it is you’re applying to. Next semester, I will try to tackle too much. You should join me. I’ll have a food service job and my position as literary director for a student theater company. I’m also taking 17 credit hours, directing a play in the spring, setting up to go abroad, proposing my senior honors thesis, keeping a writing blog and starting a food blog. Additionally, I’m attempting another minor, applying for internships, knitting a sweater, copying ’zines and growing a spruce tree named Charlie. During the summer, I want to live in a state I’ve never lived in before. Oh, and my best bud and I will be Opinion desk editors. I know that future-me will be really mad with present-me for creating this horrible, wonderful schedule for myself. Overachievers, we must persevere. Your strongest priority will rise to the surface, and everything else will assemble you as a person.Caffeine, a day-planner and good friends are all you need for this venture. We must bite off as much as we can chew, and then some. Cheers.— ftirado@indiana.edu
(12/08/11 12:52am)
WEEKEND's top picks for the best movies of the year.
(12/04/11 11:17pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I’m feeling the approach of wintery melancholia. Maybe it’s the recurring persistence of Bloomington’s “always winter, never snow.” Maybe it’s the solace I find under a pile of blankets or the fact that I can see my breath inside my own house. Maybe it’s the fact that I’ve fallen asleep the last two nights watching “Black Swan.”Whatever the triggers may be, Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD as some know it, is a condition that some, myself included never find a way to avoid. SAD is a specific depressive episode that occurs during a specific time of the year, most perilously in the wintertime. What’s more confounding about these episodes is that people can suffer from SAD even if they don’t suffer from depression. Though it’s easy to associate the two, they’re not always in cohorts, and roughly 1,500 students are at risk of the nippy blues at IU. What’s infuriating to me is that one of the most common remedies for SAD is light box therapy, which involves sitting in front of a bright light for an allotted time every day to cast your SAD away. Not all of us can afford a clinically diagnosis nor the 30 to 45 minutes each morning to stare into a lamp light. I am not a doctor, but I would like to share a few new and improved remedies for when your batteries run low. The first is good food — specifically, cooking and preparing your own good, healthy food. When you’re down, it’s important to feel self-sufficient, so stew a pot of chili or roast some acorn squashes. You’d be surprised by how easy soup is to make but not by the comfort of inner warmth. The second is getting out of the house. SAD creeps in when you’ve decided to stay in bed for the day and be socially withdrawn. Go about this counterintuitively and head steadfast into icy weather, braving the cold to get to a coffee shop. Bundling up for the library or simply taking a walk can get your heart pumping and cast your lethargy away. The third is dancing. This one is pretty self-explanatory and possibly more helpful than the first two, depending on who you are. I’ve found dancing, whether in a crowd or alone in the privacy of your own room, has had remarkable effects on my mood. Crank up tunes that bring you comfort. Try out Florence + The Machine’s “Shake It Out,” or explore the hilarity that is Destiny’s Child’s “8 Days of Christmas.” Letting go of your inhibitions, wherever you may be, makes you feel liberated and less worrisome. I truly believe you uncover layers of yourself when you dance.If all else fails, I prescribe this with the deepest sincerity and complete seriousness in helping your personal SADness: Go see “The Muppets.” — ftirado@indiana.edu
(11/30/11 9:36pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Once you’re able to get over how uncannily Michelle Williams impersonates Miss Monroe in this stunning biopic, you’ll find the layers and hauntingly beautiful mannerisms within the character give the film the complexity it deserves. The plot follows a pretty British face (Eddie Redmayne) who falls in love with the Hollywood icon during the course of a filming in England, despite her marriage (third time’s a charm).Like all infidelity movies, you watched the tragic romance knowing its self-destructive tendencies for the ending. Rich and charming characters played by Judi Dench and Emma Watson came and went but played no particularly prominent role in the plot. Performances were delectable all around. Our leading man Redmayne lets his looks do most of the work, and I’m OK with that. Room was made in the script for the leading lady, as Williams deserved the recognition of a true starlet, but the movie left me craving higher stakes.
(11/27/11 9:39pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This weekend, the independent film “My Week With Marilyn” hit limited theaters and depicted a brutally honest and hauntingly beautiful representation of the American star, Miss Monroe. Michelle Williams captured the poignant yet unsettling traits and oddities of Monroe’s persona in addition to a striking resemblance. She brilliantly played the icon. Something I found to be funny is the acting, while spot-on and smartly played, was not doing nearly as much work as her appearance was. The film constantly played into appearances, making sure the audience knew whenever Marilyn was entering a room. Her giggles could speak volumes, and her smile alone caught my attention for the duration of the movie. Music played to her movement, and where her dialogue was notable, more was said in what she didn’t say. The irony here is while Williams might have been putting her best foot forward in the acting field, her looks filled the job. Much like Monroe herself, true talent and Thespian wit was lost in people’s gaze. Audiences are doomed to look before they listen. The film made me think about how we view icons — whether in popular culture, or as celebrities in general. Has our view on celebrities improved? Meaning, do we admire celebrities for the work they do or the fame they radiate? In “The Muppets,” another film that came out this weekend, one muppet expresses that “celebrities are not a ‘people,’” and where the line was all in good fun, it illuminates some truth. When we think about Marilyn Monroe, do we ever think “Oh yes, Monroe the actress,” or “Marilyn, the singer.” No, it’s “Marilyn Monroe, the icon.” She was not a performer so much as she was an object, and where many of us would like to think otherwise, these views categorize our icons.We tend to draw a line between “talent” and “object.” What do we think of first when with think of Gaga? Her singing might be sweet, but her appearances overcome. She is an object. But could we ever compare her to the likes of Marilyn Monroe?Despite the fact celebrities create shallowness in us all, we need them just as much as they need us. Marilyn was admired because audiences needed to know that flawlessness existed. We need something to worship even if that makes us less of a “people.”— ftirado@indiana.edu
(11/20/11 10:39pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>You made it! Schoolwork is behind you for the moment, and your short but cherished food-related holiday is commencing. While it’s easy to fall into a state of turkey-induced lethargy, here are some things you can do to make your holiday new, proactive and stretched to its fullest capacity like the loops of your belt.1. Bring something new to the table. There are usually two kinds of people who participate in Thanksgiving holidays: those who cook and those who sit. If you’re a cooker, try to surprise your dinner eaters with something they’ve never seen on the table before. You could try a vegetarian dish or an ethnic food you usually never tamper with.Have you ever had beets before? Have you ever tried them braised, baked in dough, sautéed in garlic, blended into soup, anything? They’re great for you, and they turn everything pink, so take it from a recent beet convert and give these roots a chance. For those of you who are sitters, it’s OK. Your role in this holiday is important, but if you go out of your way to bring a dish to the table when no one expected you to, you’ll turn a lot of heads. 2. Read a book. I hope I don’t offend you when I say that you most likely haven’t finished a novel since the school year started, if not way before that. This year, with your time off, pick up something to talk about at the table or bring into conversation when you come back to school. If you are, however, daunted or swamped, there are easier options that leave you just as fulfilled, such as a book of poetry from someone you’ve never heard of or, of course, a graphic novel. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.3. Start thinking about holiday shopping. Whether you like it or not, winter is upon us, and it’s time to buy gifts, start that knitting project or, for goodness’ sake, just start writing some lists. Don’t be caught off guard when festivities approach.4. Don’t talk about Native Americans unless you know something about Native Americans.There are too many mistakes made, and while your efforts are valiant, you could end up offending someone. Before striking up a conversation about our real founding fathers, take a gander through nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov.5. Go see “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1.” I don’t care if you have seen any of the other movies or have a deep-rooted opinion against the franchise. This is the best and worst movie of 2011, and you will laugh with the spirit of the season.— ftirado@indiana.edu
(11/16/11 8:08pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Following in the footsteps of “300,” the graphic novel-set-to-screen “Immortals” conveys a struggle between Theseus (Henry Cavill) and King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke), who has declared his war against humanity in a fight in which gods cannot intervene.As an anguished Greek mythology nerd, I have long given up on Hollywood producing any movie that would accurately or tactfully reinterpret the original tales. I went into “Immortals” knowing it would be far from authentic but looked forward to a movie brimming with breathtaking gore and overflowing with impossible swordplay and glowing god combat, at the very least.The film stimulated my inner nerd with all these things in panels of red and gold, stunning Grecian landscapes and awe-inspiring costumes (the helmets alone!). Sadly, the surrealistic blood splatters and kick-ass god wrath did not pick up until an hour in.I do not see movies like this so they can focus on plot. Furthermore, I cannot excuse the anticlimactic and quite literal deus ex machina ending given the snoozefest that was the first half of the movie.
(11/13/11 11:00pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As if the release of Jerry Sandusky’s jury report, which detailed his sexual violation of eight boys during the course of his 15 years at Penn State University, wasn’t bad enough, a right-wing family association swooped in for the opportunity to pin this one on the gays. “It’s a simple, stubborn fact that homosexuals molest children at much higher rates than the heterosexual population,” Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association said. “This is one of the reasons the Boy Scouts have every right to keep homosexuals from becoming Boy Scout leaders.” Now, this one made me laugh. Dismissing the fact that attributing pedophilia and sexual abuse to the behavior of homosexuals and our uncontrollable promiscuity is a classic example of conservative bigotry and clichéd, outdated prejudice, it’s hysterical that Boy Scouts found its way into the issue.I winced at the unfocused and irresponsible nature of Fischer’s argument. Following his rationalization, if pedophilic behavior is amuck in any field that could potentially host a gay-identifying leader, why not exclude gays from everything? Keep them away from the children at all costs. Gather them all on one half of each nation and put the younglings on the other. We just can’t keep our hands off them.The fear-mongering, tactless “journalism” was reinforced by Jerry Cox of the Family Research Council, who echoed sentiments on an NPR program, this time speaking of same-sex parenting and adoption.“If those are the only two choices — a child be institutionalized or in a same-sex home — I would like to challenge this and say, maybe the state can do better than that.” This is where laughing ceases. I feel I don’t even have to say that a homeless child deserves a loving family just as much as a same-sex couple deserves to have a family. In a world of parent-less children and childless adults, putting families together makes sense if stability is present and love is in copious amounts.I feel I don’t even have to say that gay and straight adoption is hard enough in the states without the AFA scandalizing entire social groups. If we’re to base legal conceptions entirely on stereotypes and statistics, orphanages will overflow. I feel I don’t even have to say that feeding homophobia like this could only place gay individuals further down on a waitlist for adopting a child. That’s all right. I didn’t want a kid, anyway.— ftirado@indiana.edu
(11/06/11 11:53pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Some people like to do New Year’s resolutions. While those are good and fun, what most tend to miss is the practicality and efficiency of November resolutions. That is, goals and restrictions you set for yourself and the month of Thanksgiving. Here’s why: We all know New Year’s resolutions never go right, and when we fail, we end up disappointed in ourselves and ready to give up on anything that follows. So think of November resolutions as a kind of first pancake to a sharper list of goals you’ll make later on New Year’s Eve. So, your “floss everyday” and “no more diet coke” resolution didn’t go so well? Revise it. Redo it. It’s just November.November is one of those months that has the tendency to yield awful things and confront you with all the dead skeletons and undone projects you neglected this semester. It’s not yet Christmas, and you’re still hungover from October, dazed and unready to take on final projects or winterish commitments. Just looking at our week, we’ve found an unprecedented amount of violence with the loss of one life, several other cases of gun threats and a bomb scare at the Monroe County Library. All the rest of us are left scared and doubtful about the safety of this college town. In the face of everything hitting the fan, it is November’s duty to confront what we’ve had to learn from the events leading up to it. Transitional periods in weather create prompts to contemplate what we used to be and come to terms with who we are now.November resolutions are about taking fears and turning them into challenges, accepting past errors in order to improve them. Aim at the worst mistakes you’ve made this semester and oppose them with the word “no.”For example, I have a problem with punctuality. Last week, I showed up to work two hours late. Last week, my column didn’t even run because I couldn’t turn it in on time. The resolution here would be “No-Late November.” Don’t worry so much about the likeliness of these resolutions happening. They’re there to loom over you so you can implicitly improve, so tap into specificities. “No-Hate November,” “No-Cake November,” “No-Fake November,” “No-Fear November,” “No-Fluff November,” “No-Cigarette November,” “No-Caffeine-at-Nighttime November,” “No-Cruising-Amazon-When-You’re-Drunk November,” “No-Texting-Your-Ex-Boyfriend-When-You’re-Lonely November.” The list goes on. Now commence the get-yourself-together month. Make it your own. November is about telling yourself no and consequentially learning what it is we can and can’t handle for 2012. Start resolving.— ftirado@indiana.edu
(10/23/11 9:46pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On Oct. 15, Occupy Bloomington demonstrators marched through the town, bearing signs and protesting a “Day of Rage” that is occurring world-wide for the underdog percent. As the movement presses forward with general assemblies and camping out in Peoples Park, there is nothing stopping this group of individuals, which started from the very bottom. Seeing these frustrated nonconformists fighting for a unity they all believe in, the first thing I thought about was how much of a renegade generation we’ve become. When I use the term “renegade generation,” or “ren-gen,” for short, people are often confused and don’t understand what I’m referring to. I think the phrase richly describes the youth that exists on college campuses today, calling all hands and unifying in an archaic display of how we can bring about change.The renegade generation works for no money, nor glory or fame. The renegade generation is self-constructed and organic, pulling strength in numbers rather than materials. Like Occupy Bloomington, the renegade generation started quietly. We meet in public places, talk and invite. We peak interest and develop ideas like they are raw commodities or food for the masses. The renegade generation, whether it thrives in Bloomington, Chicago, London or Lisbon, craves change more than anything. When we need something, we gather and gather and gather until we get it, even at the risk of breaking the law. We gather even at the expense of our jobs, our comfort or our reputations. My best friend in Chicago, the one who taught me the term “ren-gen,” demonstrated with Occupy Chicago, which experienced 130 arrests Sunday. Despite the fact that outsiders and non-occupiers would see this demonstration as silly from a city that has no “Wall Street,” the ren-gen is unflinching.Our generation has a specific ren-gen approach to gaining solidarity and fighting for larger-than-life ideals, and with these numbers, we exercise a passion despite our reputation for not caring about anything.The term “hipster,” having been revived and now overtaking our generation entirely, connotes a specific apathy, making much of our generation seem lethargic and uncaring. But that’s simply not the case for the ren-gen.For those of you who missed it this past weekend, the GLBT Student Support Services Office sponsored an exhibit called “The Pop-Up Museum of Queer History.” The traveling display from New York City came to educate and congregate those that believe in the voice of queer identity and gender fluidity. The big, queer history weekend further exemplified the renegade generation in all its grandeur with a University Players’ production of “Abraham Lincoln’s Big Gay Dance Party.” I helped with the production of both of these events to show IU that from nothing, we draw something, and from that something, we draw in more to fight for a cause. Whether it’s Occupy Bloomington, a queer history event or the beginning of any fight, cause or group of individuals, our generation cares about change as long as there’s assembly.— ftirado@indiana.edu
(10/13/11 2:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Leslie Feist’s long-anticipated “Metals” slips in with a vengeance,
as Canadian singer-songwriter sets her scene with a bellowing tour de
force called “The Bad In Each Other.”The new album retains the same melancholy tone we keep so dear to the band but kicks a little more this time.Her
last two albums reigned with very separate successes, as Feist fans are
typically either “Let It Die” people, or “The Reminder” all the way.
You’ll be happy to know “Metals” brought the best of both pasts, kicking
straight into wrenching, lonely ballads like “Graveyard” and pushing
through to lion-like piano beatings in “A Commotion.”Yes, “Metals” is two worlds happily met after a prolonged, Canadian nature hiatus.
Although Feist is best at being profoundly sad, fairy-like chimes and tambourines add a distinct magic we’ve not yet heard.While the album simply can’t be my favorite, I felt moved on many occasions to happily weep to this immeasurable comeback.
(10/09/11 11:10pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This week, Michele Bachmann, the supreme leader of zealots and evident death of Minnesota’s reputation, made the shocking (and yet, was it really that shocking?) statement that, if elected, she would reinstate the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy.“It worked before, and what it says is the issue of sexuality is one that doesn’t come up, and people aren’t allowed to be open about it because the United States military is unique. It’s not a social experiment. I take very seriously the job of Commander-in-chief.” Our leading crazy lady is the reigning champion of knowing exactly how to piss off liberal voters, and is the only recorded politician to have out-Palined Sarah Palin herself (to her fading displeasure).In a similar vein, Rick Santorum stated so poignantly Sunday on Fox News, “They’re in close quarters. They live with people. They obviously shower with people,” alluding to “all sorts of studies.” We’re still dealing with the fact that these people are prevalent public figures and have influence simply by running for the 2012 Election. Here’s a thought: What if a crazy won?Take this: Bachmann is your leader, and you are under her watchful Snuffleupagus eye.Your first move is the most important one: Do you stay in the U.S. or pack up the passport for someplace where conflicts are numbed by blissful apathy, such as Sweden or Canada? You’d rather stay in the U.S.? That’s fine. Hopefully you’ve gotten married already. Whether you’re gay or straight, New York’s victory will have been repealed, and most likely, Santorum will have outlawed marriages between men and really butch-looking girls, as well as all unions that are just a little too racy.A recent survey by CBS News proclaims public opinion on same-sex marriage is nearly halved in most parts of America, and 44 percent said, “sexual relations between two adults of the same sex” is “always wrong.”I advise you to flee to either to one coast or another as Pacific- regioners and New Englanders triumph. Only 27 to 37.5 percent of these groups say same-sex marriage is “always wrong.” Preferably, pick a geographical recluse like Maine or Alaska.The fact of the matter is, there are a lot of crazies running for president. We’d better start plotting escape plans now while we still have the chance. Last time I checked, the U.S. was really good at making absolutely horrible decisions. But for now, I will be Portugal-bound, keeping calm and watching Beyonce’s “Countdown” music video. Long live the popping colors and soothing pregnant bellies.— ftirado@indiana.edu
(10/02/11 10:20pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I know what you’re thinking: Parties are hard. All of that drinking and socializing grows into a tiresome routine when you’re attending a party-centric Big Ten university.As we reach the next season of this school year, get-togethers are such a chore. Why go dance in a dark basement with bad music and people you don’t know when you can enjoy your own company, dance to Beyoncé and eat peanut butter sandwiches in your own privacy?Such a paradise is just a sample of the pleasures you can enjoy in your own time. The night-in is losing its art, and I’m here to bring it back. The following are a few approaches to successfully avoiding these pesky things called parties and all their annoyances. First play: Pretend to be sick. Meeting new people is a tedious, silly and time-consuming concept. If you don’t feel like playing the acquaintance game, the best way to avoid groups is to say you’ve come down with something. The raspy voice and coughing phone conversation always adds a nice touch, but the most efficient way to feign your illness is to tell someone you have diarrhea. No one questions the runs. Pink eye is a more daring fib but efficient nonetheless.Second play: The nap. How can you answer text messages when you’re asleep? You can’t! Plan your naps between the hours of 8 and 10 p.m. so that when your onslaught of invitational text messages comes forth, you are far from conscious. When you’re awake, text when it’s too late and say, “Aw, man, I slept too long” or, “I was feeling too tired anyway.” They’ll understand.Third play: Put something in the oven. This is a classic. Right around party-departure time, find a recipe that takes two to three hours to prepare. From here you have two options. You can actually make it or just say you’re making it. It’s much too dangerous to leave the house with the oven on, and by the time you clean up this mess, it’ll just be too late. Promise them that you’ll save them some butternut squash casserole for tomorrow.Fourth play: Just be unpleasant. This one’s simple; no one likes a party pooper, so be one. If you’re finding yourself getting invited to too many parties because you are overwhelmingly popular, the best way to avoid them is to be the one nobody wants there. Whine a lot. Sit in the corner and pout. Your mood swings and Negative Nancy approach are sure to make you the last name on the guest list.Fifth play: Don’t go. Simple, strong and secure, the most forward approach will be staying right where you are. You don’t owe anyone any excuses because you’re your own boss, stud. No one can make you do anything when there are graphic novels and Halloween Oreos to attend to in the comfort of your own room. Here’s to you and owning your own evenings.— ftirado@indiana.edu
(09/29/11 4:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Brooklyn-based indie rock ensemble Clap Your Hands Say Yeah kicks off its latest album, “Hysteria,” with a strikingly straightforward first song and single “Same Mistake,” which eases the album away from the youthful vocal-play and carnival-toybox clamor we once knew from the group.Although the chronology of the album invites a listener into a series of stories, the band has never been about anecdotes. With forgettable chord progressions until the knee-bobbing “Yesterday, Never,” the album loses the heart and playfulness the band once executed so swimmingly.Though an admirable flow keeps the album steady, the final seven-and-a-half-minute song, “Adam’s Plane,” is the only hint the album has toward something a little more classically off-kilter, but the violent piano plunking hardly suffices as a successful dénouement.Overall, “Hysteria” is far from anything new for the once finely catered chaos that rattled from the act’s previous work. The album has its twinkles, but for the most part it yields pretty noise and saddening snore-inducers.
(09/25/11 11:56pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Jamey Rodemeyer’s tragic passing has reverberated through the nation as swiftly as the suicides from last fall, which left a mark on the nation’s awareness about bullying of kids and adolescents. With Rodemeyer, who committed suicide a week ago Sunday, the nation is reminded that despite movements such as It Gets Better or the Trevor Project, bullying still persists in schools, whether we’re fighting against it or not. Rodemeyer himself actually posted to the It Gets Better video project at a point before his suicide, and despite his confidence and contribution to a rising cause, he is not with us today.This story has left me conflicted. It is not particularly profound for myself or anyone else to say, “Oh, this is tragic,” or “Bullying is wrong and must be stopped.”It was, of all people, Lady Gaga’s reaction to the case that left me contemplating furthering our actions against bullying in any form.“Jamey Rodemeyer, 14 yrs old, took his life because of bullying,” she tweeted. “Bullying must become be illegal. It is a hate crime.” While Gaga is neither the epitome of political genius nor the surmounting emancipator for GLBT youth in today’s bustling queer movement, I’m going to go ahead and say more governmental commitment to the task needs to happen. Too long have we sat on this epidemic and said, “OK, we’re really, actually going to stop bullying this time,” and then the most we do are non-profit projects and endless support from celebrities. In response to last year’s gay suicides, the site stopbullying.gov was launched to help aid students and educators on the topic. The site has five tabs and some facts and advice, and it is riddled with far-reaching aphorisms such as “Bullying is a serious problem” and “You have the power to prevent and stop bullying.” Sites like that have their place here and there, but if this is the most the White House can do to put an end to this cultural killer, then this site is as good as an insult. Laws need to be made against bullying. Support needs to draw against gossip sites, Formspring.me and harmful Facebook confrontations that make cowards of us all. Extremities must be taken. Bullies should be traced so they can receive more than a slap on the wrist. This is not just for Jamey. We make a mistake in attempting to create support based on individual families’ experiences and publicized cases. We must do this for those who suffer quietly, for those who feel as if they’re not being heard and for those who know that bullying is a killer, and killers receive legal action. — ftirado@indiana.edu
(09/18/11 7:51pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There is an art form in sitting down and listening to an entire music album that hasn’t quite traversed from the vinyl generation into our own. I feel like our brains are too rushed, too mushy. The radio has us constantly hooked on no more than 40 songs. Our channel-changing mentality doesn’t let us appreciate the whole of an artist’s work or find tiny details that remain special to you, the listener. People just don’t have time anymore. While I am a strong advocate of taking on every possible task you want to accomplish until you pass out in your bed with a fulfilled sense of exhaustion, I try my hardest to set aside an hour or two for solitude. This is prime time for listening to an entire record.If you rarely do this, give it another go, and you may find yourself pleasantly surprised. If I am preaching to the choir, let me employ a cheesy but useful analogy. Listening to an entire record is like being invited for dinner. Sometimes you don’t stay for the whole thing. Sometimes you lose interest before you even attend. Other times, because you enjoy the food and friends, or for whatever other reason, you are enthralled, and you never want it to end. The first track is not the first dish. When you walk into the hosts’ house, they don’t just throw food at you. They give you a hug or other appropriate greeting. They take your coat and sit you down. The first track should be welcoming, like a good host. It should have a hook. It doesn’t need to be overtly pleasant or wild and crazy, but if everything there is to see and eat is found in the very beginning of your dinner party, you will leave shortly afterward.As an album plays, plates are brought out to you. Appetizers are tested, and you are finding your preferred progressions, tracks and lyrics. The title track is what you heard about, the thing at this party that made it through the grapevine. If it’s spoiled right at the beginning, then you may be tempted to leave early again. If it’s the meat of the meal, you could spoil your appetite right off the bat if you take too many servings or eat it too quickly.Pay attention to details: the spices of a song, the way the instruments are arranged on your plate and the ambience you’re in. You can have just as much fun at a candlelight dinner as you can at a potluck. Let’s not forget about dessert. I don’t like abrupt endings. I can’t eat something sweet and run out the door. On the other hand, seven-minute songs feel like long, drawn-out goodbyes or sad ploys for you to stay longer.The end of an album should be savored and should ease you into a state in which you feel like you can comfortably leave. If, by the final track, you feel full of good food and good company, then you’ve had a good album. Bon appetít.— ftirado@indiana.edu