Impossible Day

Like Pac-Man, Only Smaller and with Deeper Meaning. And It's Not a Video Game

2009-11-05T17:53:00.001-08:00

J. Tillman, drummer for amazing Seattle folk band Fleet Foxes, released this captivating new video for "Though I Have Wronged You" from this year's album Year in the Kingdom. It features two pixels debating the isolation that the Internet brings. It's deep.

Sparklemouse, or Dangerhorse...and David Lynch

2009-05-26T14:47:00.000-07:00

I'm only four minutes and twenty-six seconds into Dark Night of the Soul, but, man, what a pleasant album!

The project is a collaboration between Sparklehorse, Danger Mouse, and David Lynch (yes, that David Lynch; the one who directed Lost Highway and Mulholland Dr.). Danger Mouse brings his incredible production to this album, and you can hear his trademark sound on the percussion.

The second track, "Just War" features Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals, whose voice sounds (at least on this recording) similar to Damon Albarn's on the Danger-produced Gorillaz album Demon Days, evoking an immediate familiarity. The collaboration doesn't stop there though. James Mercer of the Shins, Julian Casablancas from the Strokes and even Suzanne Vega make appearances.

In short, this album kind of rules. NPR is steaming it here.

Ignored, Once Again

2009-05-11T16:27:00.000-07:00

So another semester went by with few blog posts. Big surprise.

Other than working on (bad) Capstone projects and ignoring all my other classes, here are where I've put my thoughts since mid-January:

* Scoop44.com. I'm a Managing Editor for this site. I've been writing columns once in a while and blogging slightly more frequently. To check out my work specifically, click here. Someday I'll figure out how to get my picture and bio on that page. I get to write the teasers and headlines for nearly all feature articles, which makes allows me to play with words. My favorite is on Sophia Yan's article on same-sex marriage. Headline: "America is Turning Purple." Tagline: "With conservative states like Iowa legalizing gay marriage and liberal states like California banning it, the line between red and blue states is blurring." It's turning purple for two reasons!

* The State Press. I had to quit writing columns for ASU's paper somewhere around Spring Break, and with much regret. I had begun writing record reviews as well, which I quite liked, but couldn't keep it going with the thousand other projects I gave myself this semester. My writings are here. Check out "The New Prime Minister of Iceland is Gay."

* Once college football season rolls around again, I'll most likely be badmouthing the Big Ten (especially you, Ohio State and Wisconsin!) over on Future of Fantasy again. I know we're still about four months out, but it's hard not to be excited about college football at any point in the year when you were born in Lincoln, Nebraska. Here are the articles I got up before school consumed my life last fall.

I may have forgotten something, but I'll be writing about random topics here again (I still think lipstick is the devil), so if I did, I'll post it here as soon as I remember.

Something Awkward This Way Comes

2009-01-22T11:38:00.000-08:00

Just as I was looking at Paste Magazine's report of Oscar nominations, the album I was listening to (Nine Inch Nails' Ghosts I) ended. I grabbed my iPod, and - as I often do - clicked on "Shuffle Songs" in order to find something I would like to listen to. After skipping some Revolver-era Beatles and more NIN, Nirvana's "Scentless Apprentice" from In Utero came on. Though it had one of my absolute favorite intro drum beats, I skipped it in search of something more subdued. The next song that came on was Low's "Breaker"... which begins with the same beat. Plagiarism!

Weird.

Check it out:

P.S. I settled on listening to Ben Folds' Songs for Silverman. If you care.

I'm Still Alive

2008-12-27T13:01:00.000-08:00

*Tap* *Tap*

Is this thing still on?

It's been a while since I've updated my blog, and now that I've settled into winter break, I'm getting restless again. Due to my inability to stay still both mentally and physically for long enough to sit through a movie (damn you, father for giving me these genes!), I have decided to guide you to all my most recent writing endeavors.

Writing weekly for The State Press took a lot of my time over the last few months, but I wouldn't have it any other way. To make things easy, I'm providing a link to my TSP portfolio. Past columns have been on the bullshit that is the auto bailout, my Election Day experience at the Arizona Democratic Party's...um, party, and why Americans cannot take the threat of Somalian pirates seriously. My dedication to my craft has been proven by my obligatory artsy pen & paper picture inserted below.

Unfortunately, the end of the semester took away my time to write blogs here for Impossible Day, and Future of Fantasy, but my buddies at the latter are writing up some great fantasy-oriented stuff on the action-packed NBA season thus far.

Some writing for Scoop08 also got published leading up to the election, including an election preview (Wrapping Up the '08 Bowl) and a review of the third Presidential debate (The Hofstra Hail Mary; McCain's Last Hurrah in the National Spotlight).

With the new semester comes more columns (and possibly music reviews) for the State Press and a new incarnation of Scoop. Scoop44 will track the administration and policy of our 44th President, Barack Obama. I am taking over a managing editor position, and the site promises to deliver more regular (and organized) insight than its 08 incarnation, along with new media for an enchanced presentation. The prospective relaunch date is Inauguration Day, in which we will have full content available for the world to see...

Also, I may have a portfolio site up in the next few weeks. I'll let you know when that materializes. For now, enjoy the goods I've listed above.

A Mid-Season's Night's Insomnia

2008-10-17T02:00:00.000-07:00

I put up a mid-season conference review and a Week 8 national preview this week for Future of Fantasy. It probably should have been two articles, but I was on a roll (and I'm lazy), so I just combined them into one. But it's still awesome.

My big pick? My new favorite underdogs Baylor over the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Really, I think it could happen.

Also, USC should lose again.

Update!

2008-10-16T23:35:00.000-07:00

I've been writing a lot lately, but slacking on placing links to my work.

Last week I had my first article published in ASU's newspaper, The State Press. I wrote about the power of concerts, and how there seems to be an unusually talented parade of musicians flowing from one end of the country to the other at the moment. I cited my experiences at recent shows put on by Sigur Rós (see left) and Beck as evidence, and mentioned the current Metallica tour. Even Timbaland is getting out of the studio and onto the road.

I then wrote some well-informed yet horrible predictions on last week's college football games for Future of Fantasy. I know the screenshot below isn't from this year's game, but I couldn't pass it up. I think I guessed every game in the article wrong (though I really didn't expect BSU to lose), but I don't feel like checking it again to find out.

My newest column for The State Press follows a 28-0 embarrassment of the ASU Sun Devils by the USC Trojans last week and analyzes the sports fan's dilemma in Arizona. Why don't we care about sports, or at least the local teams? The article is a little shorter than I would like it to be, but it works. I would have liked to add more about the relatively short life and lack of tradition of all Arizona teams (it's a young state), but this will have to do, I guess. Maybe someday when I'm a powerful enough columnist to demand a specified length for publication of my own pieces.

For now, I slave away, though. I'll have lots more writing up in the very near future, because I am an animal, and I never step away from my computer. At least beer can sit next to my keyboard for me to sip on.

The Cream of the Big 12 Crop

2008-10-05T11:31:00.000-07:00

I was astonished by the dominance of the top Big 12 teams on Saturday. So astonished that I had to write about it. There was no way around it, I was compelled. So I did, and this is the result.

Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, and Texas Tech all showed that they were not to be messed with this weekend, and the battle for the Big 12 title will be just as - if not more - interesting than the SEC title. Now go to Future of Fantasy and read on!

My Name Is Ryan O'Neal, and I Approve This Message

2008-10-04T13:51:00.000-07:00

Oh, the Vice Presidential Debate. It's usually such a drag.

But not this time! Everyone was tuning in to see if either candidate would make a fool of themselves. And by everyone, I mean everyone; this was the most-viewed VP debate of all time (not that there was really that much competition). Because everyone was so excited about it, I decided to pander to the masses and write a column about it for Scoop08, the site I've ignored by writing about college football more often.

I've gotten a bit disillusioned with the two-party shuffle as of late, but it's hard not to get swept up into the idea that competition for elected office is run by a duopoly, and the company names are the Grand Ole Party and the Democratic Party. Whatever. Go read my column.

Die, Turkeyish-Looking Creatures, Die!

2008-09-30T01:45:00.000-07:00

I got so excited about the past weekend of football - which, simply put, was amazing - that I went ahead and put up this week's preview on a Monday night/Tuesday morning. It was that grand. Still, I can hardly contain myself.

That bright orange square to the left of these words is the "Orange Effect" that Virginia Tech implemented against Georgia Tech earlier this year. It is yet another reason that they deserve to lose. And no, it has nothing to do with Nebraska. Go Hilltoppers!

It's in the weekly analysis for Future of Fantasy, along with Game of the Week analysis of Vanderbilt/Auburn, Oregon State's chances for upsetting Utah, and my hopes for Big 12 North respect.

Is it Saturday yet?

Return to the Mid-'90s

2008-09-24T12:26:00.000-07:00

ESPN.com writer Ivan Maisel wrote a bit on the rediscovered "undefeatedness" of three traditional college football powerhouses of the mid-'90s: Alabama, Penn State and my beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers.

An excerpt:

"New Nebraska coach Bo Pelini has made the Huskers' defense respectable again. A month ago, that's all Nebraska requested. With a taste of victory, however, comes the craving for more, especially if you used to dine on it every Saturday."

More than you know.

I was born a sports fanatic in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1986. My first meaningful college football memory was staying up past my bedtime to watch the 1994 Orange Bowl against Bobby Bowden's Florida State Seminoles. At seven years old, I knew the meaning of heartbreak. Watching the referees rule "touchdown" when William Floyd fumbled before crossing the goalline on a 1-yard run in the third quarter baffled my young mind. Byron Bennett's hooked 45-yard field goal attempt as time expired left me with eyes wide, jaw dropped and shoulders slumped.

That game was the only loss of the 1993 season for the Huskers. Over the next four years, Nebraska won three national championships and had a record of 49-2 until Tom Osborne retired. This is how I grew up on college football. Needless to say, the last few years have been hard. Seeing your team go from being one of the best of all time to mediocrity can be devastating. Nevertheless, it's good to see the Big Red slowly returning to form.

I included the Nebraska/Virginia Tech game as my "Most Interesting Game Between Two Unranked Teams" in this week's college football preview for Future of Fantasy. You can see my unbiased opinion on why the Hokies are going to return to Blacksburg sans smiles, alongside a Georgia/Alabama preview and my cries for some Nittany Lion respect and the demise of other Big Ten "powerhouses."

Go Huskers!

Please, Please, Please, Please Read This Article

2008-09-22T12:51:00.000-07:00

The Economist published a great piece on the status of the lending market with an overview of the $700 billion plan everyone's talking about like they read it. Which they haven't, even though it's less than three pages long.

I know we live in America, and we all want to talk and form opinions on everything and share those opinions with everyone even if we don't know the exact details, but this problem is one that people are not thinking through before they place blame on McCain for endorsing deregulation or some crap like that, that ultimately doesn't matter. So stop shouting for a minute, and read what is possibly the most well-written piece on the subject so far.

Please read this and pass it on.

FSU Fans: Sexier Than Bobby Bowden

2008-09-17T20:46:00.000-07:00

In doing research and looking for photos for my Week 4 college football preview on FutureOfFantasy.com, I realized something: Florida State Seminoles fans are waaaay sexier than Bobby Bowden. If your eyes drift three inches to the right, you can see for yourself.

Distractions aside, I managed to finally create a rough format for my weekly column. My Week 4 Preview features my analysis of the game of the week (Auburn/LSU), a secondary game of the week (Wake Forest/Florida State), one random game with an unorthodox heading, and proclamations of who in all of college football I'd like to see win and lose.

Now stop staring at the photo and go read it.

OSUSC

2008-09-12T01:28:00.000-07:00

I'm writing for a new Web site, FutureOfFantasy.com, a sports page started by a couple of my buddies from my days living in Iowa (a few years ago). The name of the site derived from the original intention of providing information on fantasy sports, namely baseball and football. Jacob Gaer then added in his college hoops expertise, and my enthusiasm for NCAA football led me to writing for the project.

My first article was posted Thursday afternoon by yours truly, in the first administrative position given to me by another human being. The Ohio State vs. USC preview is right here for your reading enjoyment. Let's hope the game is better than the Trojans against my beloved Huskers.

VP Reaction, Part Deux

2008-09-11T23:53:00.000-07:00

The new Scoop08Scoop08 column I have up is the second of a two-parter on the American Vice Presidential candidate picks. This one was written after Sarah Palin's speech at the Republican National Convention.

I was in awe of how well Palin handled herself. The Republican party, for the first time in a while, captured my attention with potential change and difference. "McCain Shows Maverick Side; Palin Shows Ability to Motivate" is that reaction captured in those little collected black pixels we call words on a screen (almost as good as a hot dog on a stick!).

Back to School: A Lesson in Social Norms

2008-08-25T12:20:00.001-07:00

It's back to school for me today. Another day back on campus in Tempe at the lovely Arizona State University for some more education. But today has left me with more questions than answers. Today has revealed to me the ambiguity, structure and/or total lack of social norms in certain common situations.

We'll start at the beginning of my day.

In an effort to save myself some money and feel socially and environmentally aware (but mostly to avoid purchasing a $600 parking pass), I acquired myself a bus pass, which the city of Tempe (in conjunction with ASU) gives to students free of charge. I stood standing on the side of the road with a small group of people, and forgot how awkward it can be when nobody in the group knows each other. It was like waiting for the school bus after moving, only this time each one of us had an iPod. Waiting for the bus with strangers similar to being alone in a crowded elevator, only with more space and less social protocol.

Riding the bus was easy. Even though Cave Creek (the Phoenix suburb I went to high school in) has no public transportation, I figured all I had to do to was watch others to figure out how to use my pass.

I arrived at my first class, ECN 331: Economics of the European Union to find that my teacher is French. A bit hard to understand at first, but after a few minutes, you forget he's not American, unless he talks about a subject that triggers the comparison. I happen to like it when I have a foreign teacher: it makes me pay attention to what he's saying, and I'll learn more. Plus, a dash of credibility is given to the course by having it taught by someone who has lived there since way before the Euro conversion.

This class and my next class are in the same room, so in between classes, I just sat there. The girls sitting next to me also did, as did a few others. As the next class piled in, the girl next to me saw someone she new, and brought up to him the fact that she had her previous class in the same room. "Excuse me," cracked a male voice through the still air like lightning with a tone that was both accusatory and slightly offended. "Could you understand him at all?" The overweight kid with the poorly styled, over-greased jet-black hair and the most horribly delivered innocent question in the world was sitting in the row in front of us, and wore an angry grimace on his face.

"Yeah," the off-put girl replied. "I mean, I had to pay attention, but..." she trailed off.

He replied in an aggressive manner that suggested everyone should share his opinion. "I didn't get anything at all."

Fuck you, I thought. Drop the class if you struggle that much. No one cares if you and your xenophobic attitude learn anything. And they didn't, the conversation ended there. But I couldn't help but wonder how many social norms that student ignores. Clearly, he didn't mind appearing to be an asshole in front of sixty people he didn't know, something most of us are averse to. He did make me wonder, though: how does one refute his stance, effectively calling him out as the biggest asshole since Dick Cheney shot his friend in the face, without stooping to his level. I'm sure it's all in the tone and word choice, but I didn't feel like it was worth the effort.

After that second class, I have a four hour break (on which I am currently writing). So, as I did last year, I decided to spend my free time at the Starbucks in the W.P. Carey School of Business. Because I had a three hour break last semester, my face became known by the girl who holds the post of shift leader/manager. However, my name was forgotten.

She called me David. My name is Ryan. Not even close, but it has been over three months since I last saw her. That, and I have no idea what the hell her name is. Not even a first letter or anything. So she shouldn't feel bad by any means. But considering she wrote "David" on my cup, and I feel like I'm stealing someone's drink when my name is not on it, I feel like I need to resurrect the situation.

But what are the norms for correcting someone on your name if you don't do it immediately after they screw it up? Should I walk up to her, say, "My name is Ryan," throw my empty cup at her and walk away? It would be really funny from a third-party perspective, for sure, but probably not the best idea for congenial encounters during the rest of the semester (or college career, for that matter). I should just tell her next time I'm here, but it might make it fun to pretend I am David, and make him my Starbucks alter ego - he acts exactly like me, but his name is David.

Hmm...I'll have to come up with a better schtick for David.

VP Reaction, Primer Parte

2008-08-23T12:39:00.000-07:00

On Scoop08 there is a new column of mine, this time detailing my thoughts on the nomination of Joe Biden as Barack Obama's vice presidential running mate. Try to figure out why I laugh at nearly every line.

I present to you the most straightforward title in the history of publishing, A Scoop08 Columnist Reacts to VP Selection.

Scoop08: The Lost War in Afghanistan

2008-07-23T15:53:00.000-07:00

A while back, on Scoop08, I discussed how the War in Afghanistan has become what should be an amalgamation of the War on Terror and the War on Drugs. Since that article was published back in May, I have seen an increase in reporting on the Central Asian war, but not one significant enough for me to halt my cries.

So the battle rages on.

My new column is an evaluation of the events that have occurred since the Taliban resurgence began, including a the disappearance of Mehboba Andyar, the sole Afghani woman to compete in the Beijing Olympiad.

Film Fraud or, A Plot Thickened

2008-07-14T01:18:00.000-07:00

I just got finished watching Abre los ojos, the 1997 Spanish movie starring Penelope Cruz upon which Vanilla Sky was based on.

And just like that, I lost roughly 82.3 percent of my respect for Cameron Crowe, the director of the latter. The remaining 17.7 percent resides in the pleasure I derive from watching Almost Famous, which is mostly just due to my love for writing and music. Wait a minute...upon consulting IMDb, I just learned that he wrote Fast Times at Ridgemont High. The Respect-O-Meter lies right around 43.4 percent now (extra points for multiple successes).

I first watched Tom Cruise dance around as a prima donna under the name of David Aames around four years ago, when I thought every single movie with a twist ending that featured trendy music was awesome. Suffice it to say, Vanilla Sky, despite the lackluster original song contribution from Paul McCartney (which somehow still got nominated for an Oscar and a Grammy - probably for the same reason Anna Kournikova still receives more press than the current top-ranked women's tennis player, Ana Ivanovic) amazed me in a way that only so many movies can. The story seemed so fresh, so (ironically) vivid. I bought the movie shortly after my first viewing, and then threw it to my father, who I knew would eat it up, at the first chance I had.

As an avid new-music pursuer, the multiple songs by the symphonic Icelandic post-rock outfit Sigur Rós in Vanilla Sky, along with the opening sequence of an empty Time Square accompanied by Radiohead's "Everything in it's Right Place" captivated me. Of course, a scene where the busiest part of Manhattan is vacant during daylight hours is something of a spectacle, and deserves to be noticed.

But tonight, as the chapter number of the Abre los ojos DVD progressed, I couldn't help but feel disappointed. I was disappointed not because the movie was terrible (it wasn't), but because I had seen the exact movie before, only the version I'd seen was in English. With the exception of the thirty minutes of witty banter and Hollywood extravagance that Crowe had used to fluff up his version of an intentionally-confusing love story, the language spoken, and the names and actors portraying each character other than the beautiful Penelope Cruz's Sofía, everything was exactly the same.

Crowe tried to make the movie his own: he changed the occupation of the main character and added in a dramatic Board of Directors nicknamed the 'Seven Dwarves', he did away with scoring much of the movie in place of a soundtrack, and changed some unimportant details in the plot-twisting action.

Ultimately, Crowe failed. If you haven't seen either picture, and don't mind reading a few subtitles (it's not a hard read), check out Abre los ojos. Vanilla Sky is an incredibly well-produced movie with a few original memorable lines and an acting crew that was well-cast, but devoting over a year of his life to release what is basically a translation of a great movie - put out less than half a decade previous in another country - was a waste of his (and a lot of other people's) time.

Unless he was really out of ideas, in which case...kudos to him for being so adept at screwing us all over.

The Most Ridiculously Awesome Video of the Moment

2008-06-22T16:17:00.001-07:00

"I can't put my penis in your college degree."

White rap at its finest.

Scoop08: Is McCain A Neo-Con?

2008-06-17T23:13:00.000-07:00

Here's my most recent column for Scoop08.

I was a bit confused by seeing some McCain opponents saying that he's going to be a Bush-esque neoconservative, yet others say that he's not really a conservative at all. I decided to look into it myself.

Here is what I discovered.

Oh, the Naïvety!

2008-06-06T03:04:00.000-07:00

Tonight I stumbled upon one of the most oddly entertaining pieces of political writing I have ever seen. It was published on July 25, 1996 by Slate magazine, and is entitled "The Logistics of Presidential Adultery."

Looking back, one can easily see Bill Clinton spilling seed on an intern's pretty blue dress, but once upon a time, such activity was simply speculation...and one reporter's ticket to the big time. This article depicts how a president would go about sneaking a lady-friend into the White House - a task much more difficult than in the age of Kennedy, America's most infallible adulterer - and how he would get away with it (I feel like I should capitalize the "h" on "he" when talking about a president, like he's God or something...odd, considering I'm talking about Clinton, not Bush).

The article outlines the obvious barriers to presidential infidelity, but later moves into ways the Leader of the Free World can get away with doing some chick who heard a different set of vows. A quick outline:

1.) The White House Sneak - The family's away. Señor Prez calls his belle on the private line from the living quarters (which the Clintons installed), she enters in a traditional method, going through the gates and running into a few Secret Service agents along the way. The do their duty, and she leaves. This one is a bit suspect - it's on record who entered and at what time, due to the the obligatory background check, and word travels fast through the White House. End result: Screwed, twice over.

2.) Off-the-Record Trip - Is as it sounds. Prez-O leaves La Casa Blanca sin motorcade and press notification. They go direct to the home of the mistress, then come back to the White House. End result: Sketchy. Flags are raised in gatekeepers' minds upon re-entry, and drivers would have to be trusted at the highest level.

3.) The Camp David Assignation - Take a trip to Camp David, invite the girl, then have her sneak into the Presidential Cabin late at night, returning to her own neighboring accommodations soon after. End result: Still no guarantee. Guest list is marked in official documents, and having hot flesh without the presence of the First Lady is a good way to get yourself some questions that have no good answer.

4.) The Hotel Shuffle - The President and his aide stay in adjacent hotel rooms, with a door connecting the two rooms directly. The aide brings some hot, young thang back to his room, she slips into the room of the President, then exits via the aide's room a while later. As far as anyone can prove, the President had nothing to do with what was going on. End result: Potential success. While speculation will be abound among staffers and Secret Service agents, it's the best way to get away with Presidential adultery.

Of course, all of this assumes the woman involved is trustworthy and won't tell her girlfriends, who in turn won't tell their girlfriends. All in all, we don't really know if Monica was Bill's only in-office (literally) extra-marital affair, but it's hard to believe that he made it until well into his second term before his time ran out.

Morals aside, it's funny to think this outline to infidelity appeared only shortly before he was caught.

Full text.

The Great Home-Brew Experiment

2008-05-28T23:29:00.000-07:00

Tonight begins an adventure of epic proportions.

It is the beginning of the Great Home-Brew Experiment.

My roommate Brian Flora and I, after long and laborious talks of brewing our own beer, decided after an encounter with limoncello and arancello on Cinco de Mayo (odd combo, I know), that liqueurs may be an easier - and less costly - way to combine our creative juices with our love for the world's most grand of social lubricants, at least for our novice selves.

Here's our recipe for (tentative) success:

This past Saturday evening, Brian and I peeled 13 regular-sized lemons and 7 small limes using a veggie/potato peeler, careful to leave off the white part. Internet research proposed that too much white rind would yield a bitter taste. The actual green peel of the limes is tough to completely separate from the rind because of its thinness (it's easier for the lemons - thicker peels). We're keeping a close eye, though.

Next step: Infusion

Brian and I stole a couple empty jars from work (5 lb jars of maraschino cherries and olives), and dumped one of our 750 mL bottles of everclear in each one. We used everclear because the higher alcohol content (95%, or 190 proof) helps break down and infuse the flavors from the peels. if you can't find everclear - it's surprisingly difficult to find - use vodka, preferably 100 proof as opposed to the usual 80 proof.

We bought two bottles in order to make two batches. Per 750 mL bottle, we threw in approximately six and a half lemons-worth of peels, and in one of the two batches, we added the lime peels. We'll shaken them up a bit once each day to keep activity going inside the jars, then add the simple syrup next week.

Any suggestions on limoncello preparation in the comments section are greatly appreciated.

PaintRolled

2008-05-26T01:03:00.001-07:00

So the craze is out there, and more diverse than ever. The 4chan phenomenon has spread to diverse art forms, from the innocent beginnings as a simple '80s music video. Here is possibly one of the greatest RickRolls of all time (and yes, I fell for it), the MarioPaintMusicMakerRoll.

Requiem: Altered Connotations

2008-05-23T03:47:00.000-07:00

There are many things that humans have trouble comprehending. Wrapping our minds around infinity, for instance, is impossible. Why the simple idea of turning the lights out makes an otherwise mediocre roller coaster like Space Mountain incredibly awesome is hard to fathom as well.

The hardest thing to understand, though, is death.

A bit after midnight Pacific Time on May 15, an American soldier named Kyle Daggett died from an infection in his lung caused by pneumonia after being injured by an IED in Iraq. The blog Lipstick & Dipstick, run by Kyle's cousin, has the details of his fight for life.

I didn't know Kyle well, and I'm not going to pretend I did. I met Kyle in eighth grade when I first moved to Arizona. When high school started, he transferred districts, and I didn't see much of him, though I ran into him here or there. To call us acquaintances would probably be a stretch. He was a person who I never really hung out with, but the older I get, the more I realize that a lot of people who have played important roles in my life were very close to him. An ex-girlfriend of mine dated Kyle for a long time before I did, a high school golf buddy became good friends with him as I moved on to a different stage of my life, and a close friend of mine today played together with him on the defensive unit for their high school football team.

I don't want to make this post another one of the regret-filled, "I wish I would have made an effort" pieces, because as a realist, I accept that I missed the opportunity to make a real connection with a good human being. I just want to recognize Kyle Daggett, and help immortalize his presence on the Internet to honor the impression he's made in the lives of my close friends, and to make a few observations surrounding his unfortunate demise.

For somebody in my position (and there are many), the reality and scope of this situation wasn't fully felt until I stumbled upon a Facebook group created before his death, Praying for Kyle Daggett and read some of the comments. Sometimes the simplest of messages are the most touching.

Reading the things his peers had to say about him the realization that this is a man I actually met, actually conversed with, who died in this war, hit me. This kid's gone forever, and no one can change that.

The death of someone you know changes your perspective on an issue you've heard so much about. Suddenly, the topic goes from political to humanistic. This is a topic that affects real people; it's not the big-budget Hollywood production that's seen in the mind's eye. After all, movies like Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk Down are the closest experience most people have had to witnessing the kind of environment a war-torn world really is.

It's odd to hear about a former classmate dying in a selfless manner. The only other cases of death stemming from high school relations in the past, in my experience, it's been suicide and drug-related. It makes me proud to say that I knew someone who gave everything he had to serve in our military. He's a braver man than I. His MySpace profile proves his commitment to what he was doing, and how much he loved doing it.

I don't know Kyle Daggett's views on George W. Bush, the status of the War in Iraq, who he wanted to elect as President in 2008, or any other political issue. I just know that he was someone who made a bold decision to join the Army Rangers after high school, made an impact on my friends, and could have lead as an example to many more people had luck been on his side.

Then again, I guess he finished his mission.

Chinese Jumping Books

2008-05-19T23:25:00.001-07:00

After competing with Mexico for production of products to the USA, China pulls out their answer to Mexican Jumping Beans. Look at those books flop around. Crazy!

Video taken from the Sichuan Earthquake.

McCain's YouTube Problem Just Became a Nightmare

2008-05-18T11:42:00.001-07:00

This is sad. Remember what Mom said? Honesty is the best policy. That is, unless you are the Straight Talk Express.

What happened to the idea of integrity in public office?

I Got Rick Rolled.

2008-05-18T01:18:00.000-07:00

For the first time (how did it take so long?), I got rick rolled.

If you don't know what Rickrolling is, you've probably been living under a rock. Even the dreaded mainstream media knows what it is, and has covered it. If you are confused, this site will tell you all about it.

How post-modern of me.

Rocketman 2008

2008-05-15T14:06:00.001-07:00

I just saw on MSNBC that a Swiss man jumped out of a plane over the Alps and proceeded to fly himself around using a homemade jet pack. Yeah, how friggin' awesome is that? Damn awesome.

Having sky-dove once (sky-dived?), I initially thought there is a possibility that this is completely unnecessary. Then I realized that it is just the beginning of something bigger than us all.

Imagine a world where we fly around in jet packs. What would the implications be? What kind of gas mileage would it get? Could it run on alternative fuel? How would we regulate their use? If two packs collided at night, high in the air, would it look like fireworks? Is there a way we could make it look like a mini mushroom cloud? How would they enforce speed limits? Would they be viewed as more or less safe/cool than motorcycles?

Read the whole story here.

Scoop08: Afghanistan & the War on Drugs

2008-05-15T01:06:00.000-07:00

Here's my most recent column for Scoop08.

It's on the connection I saw between the War on Drugs and the War on Terror. I know I'm not the only one who sees this connection, and it's time to do something about it.

The column is largely based off of this report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Enjoy.

The Most Ridiculously Awesome Video/Picture of the Moment

2008-05-11T01:21:00.000-07:00

Don't listen to what Avenue Q has to say. The Internet is for so much more than just porn, like watching a man who can't decide whether he want to play bagpipes or be a gladiator duel with a trained dog. Behold:

This video bursting with awesome was brought to you by The Internet Is Terrible, my new favorite Web site, which specializes in bringing up the fact that the Internet wastes all our time and talent on pointless endeavors, while somehow maintaining the image of a knowledge and experiential database. A disclaimer found on the site: "This site is not for the faint at heart or the easily offended. If you happen to be one of those why are you even on the internet." It also started/contributed to the current LOLcat-esque anteater craze on Digg that has resulted in the popularity of ridiculous pictures like this:

"Oh, my God! It's that thing from Cloverfield!"

Greatest Album of 2008

2008-05-07T13:05:00.000-07:00

So far, Portishead wins with Third.

I love this album. Anything less than this after 11 years would have been alright, but they nailed it. A seamless progression from the eponymous.

Continuing with the claustrophobic, high-tension sound and aching, aching vocal style of the incredibly talented Beth Gibbons, Portishead completely wrote off the trip-hop label that they hate. Moving forward, they manage to stay true to themselves while creating a brand new style that can best be typified by the album-opening "Silence" and lead single "Machine Gun," whose music video gives a bit of insight into how they achieve the sound (it's shot in the same rehearsal-tape style of Nine Inch Nails' "Hand That Feed You").

While it is amazing, I'm a bit disappointed that there's no physical product outside the £40/$80+ box set which my poor college self cannot afford for each awesome, distributionally-enchanced band that comes along (I splurged on Radiohead's In Rainbows and am still deciding which package of NIN's Ghosts I want to purchase...when I have money to spend on non-food/rent/utilities products/services). It's only available as a download, as far as I know, unless you can find the sold-out box set for a reasonable price on either eBay or Amazon.

Support great music. Purchase Third. Now. Or I'm going to send Gary Busey after you.

EDIT: There is actually a physical copy. I saw it at my local record store the day after I wrote this. Blah.

Play That Funky Music, White Kid

2008-05-07T00:58:00.000-07:00

Since I don't have time to write a real post right now, here's something you should check out to keep your cravings for RyanSpeak quelled a while longer.

Continuing the music trend of my last two posts - the electronic music trend, actually - and in honor of this xkcd comic...

...which I just re-read because it's more entertaining than my SPA 494 Special Topics: Spanish Language Variations book which I'm supposed to be studying, I will divulge my favorite Internet radio station to you. Not only is it my Number One, it is my Only One; a BFF of streaming beats, if you will.

The station is cliqhop idm on SomaFM, and like just about anything free and awesomely social on the Interwebs, it's based out of San Francisco. My sentiments toward this music are summed up by the statement that appears if you leave your cursor over the above comic for a moment with out moving it (that crazy xkcd guy does this with all his posts.)

The station combines tracks from random indie compilations from small European labels, more universally successful artists like Aphex Twin or Boards of Canada, and random remixes by legitimate electronicians of more mainstream acts (por ejemplo, a Telefon Tel Aviv remix of Nine Inch Nails' "Even Deeper"). If nothing else, these avant-garde ambient works serve as great study music.

Aphex Twin Live @ Coachella 2008

2008-05-01T23:58:00.000-07:00

I don't know who recorded this, but whoever you are, in the words of a friend of mine, "thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you."

Richard D. James proved he owns my soul in a live venue as well.

Aphex Twin Live @ Coachella.

I Can Has Coachellaburger?

2008-04-24T13:56:00.000-07:00

http://www.coachella.com/event/set-times

If you want to know where I'm at, follow the good bands.

Bullets and Brain Cells

2008-04-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

I got a question about an armed faculty in response to my CNN article on campus safety from a guy named Spencer on Facebook:

Spencer's Note:

Ryan,

I appreciate your article featured on CNN.com. Following Va. Tech's massacre, I thought about the lives that could have been saved if a student had been armed. It's a crazy, sad thought, but it seems to have some benefits. Obviously, it is true, "dorm rooms -- where many a party takes place -- are hardly the ideal setting for a gun to be readily available."

So what about an armed Faculty? I know they'll deplore the idea, but, with the option to be armed after proper training, I bet some professors would do it. And after one professor is touted as a hero, I bet the idea would catch on.

Sorry to stalk you out on facebook... I just liked your article, and I think it's cool that I can let you know.

My Response:

You're not the first person to stalk me on Facebook because of the article, and I really enjoy the input. I'm glad people are reading what I'm writing, and I'm glad Facebook allows people to let me know what they think.

Honestly, I view the idea of armed students and armed faculty as one, I guess I just never really separated the idea in my thoughts or writing. Actually, if a prof. were trained with a firearm, I think it would be more beneficial than random students carrying, mostly because teachers are proven responsible to a further extent, and that teachers have a further reach - in terms of classes attended - in helping if a violent on-campus event should arise.

The armed student idea and my semi-agreement with the policy is more of a product of my experience at Arizona State - it is largely a commuter university, as over 50K attend on four campuses - and I kind of ignored the distinction of ideas for student arms between small and large campuses in the article.

Happy Birthday!

2008-04-23T13:08:00.001-07:00

This has to be the best birthday present ever. I wish someone would do a video like this for my birthday.

If I have a little girl, I want her to be like this, and by then, hopefully we will see an anti-aging product actually work, so then I can keep her this age forever.

I'm #2!

2008-04-23T02:42:00.000-07:00

I was the Number 2 story on CNN's Web site, bitches! Check it out! My article was right below the update the Obama/Clinton Pennsylvania steel-cage-style bout.

Look in the bottom left hand corner...there it is, the Campus Safety headline.

Go me!

The Most Ridiculously Awesome Video of the Week

2008-04-21T20:06:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I feel like doing this to people I don't like.

A golden eagle throws a goat off a cliff.

Enjoy

The Most Gigantic Made-Up Mouth of All Time

2008-04-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

As far as cosmetics go, lipstick is by far the least mysterious, at least as far as its purpose goes. Whereas other products used to suppress or enhance certain features are subtle and sometimes even unnoticeable, lipstick can be the most blatant. It's also the most unnecessary.

Lipstick can look wonderful on a woman - keyword: look. For example, in this picture. But outside of photography, it has no business being used.

Lipstick, flat-out, is disgusting. Images of smooch-giving lipstick on romantic Hallmark cards don't make me feel the warm sentiments of an intimate romance, but of great-aunts everywhere with their blue hair and raccoon eyes who strike from out-of-town every few months to pull on your cheek, remark on how much you've grown since the last time she saw you, and leaves lip-stick marks all over your face.

Gross.

Now in my early 20s, I don't experience these things as much, and haven't since I became busy with my own life in my late teens. But recently I rediscovered the horrors of Big Red.

Two months ago, I switched restaurant jobs to tend bar at an Asian neighborhood bar and grill. The section of Scottsdale in which I work is populated with older residents, not too unlike the great-aunts that pepper our pasts. And they like to wear lipstick. And it gets all over their wine and martini glasses, much like in the picture above, which gives me the heeby-jeebies just looking at it. Being the small restaurant that we are, we don't have a dish washer for the bar, leaving me to scrape off dried remnants that give me the same feeling I would get if one of the bar patrons were simply to give me a full-tongued lick across my palms.

I'd like to thank the women of younger generations for not wearing such abominably disgusting image-enhancers. Stick to the smoky eyes and the dresses to look classy, please, and leave the little red stick of horribleness at home.

Selling Out For Free

2008-04-16T10:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I published another one of my columns. But this one is different.

It is on CNN's Web site. I got this opportunity through the site I normally write for, Scoop08.

It's my reflection on the Virginia Tech shootings, which, as a rule, I would never write about (simply because I think the focus of the topic is misdirected and sensationalized), but hey - I'm on CNN now!

Take a gander, and hopefully I can get a real column up there soon.

And no, I didn't get paid for this.

Music Wars 2008

2008-03-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen this yet, check it out.

If you're too lazy to click and read a headline, I summarize:

Who: Emo kids.

What: Get the shit beat out of them.

When: Since early March.

Where: Mexico (huh?)

Why: For being emo.

Wow.

Personally, I think this is a little unfair. Emos are a non-violent people, and are obviously overmatched by their punk and metalhead counterparts. This is like the over-developed 8th grader who beats up on the 6th grader who hasn't reached puberty yet simply because the 6th grader hasn't reached puberty. Unfair, but we'll always watch until some higher authority with responsibility to stop it does so.

Emosexuals, as they are now being deemed by the haters, have enough things to cry about, namely listening to music with trite lyrics detailing how much they care about love and how much they wish people understood them.

As funny as this is on the surface, it's disturbing beneath it. This is music fanboyism at a level equal to that of the worst Scottish soccer hooligans, and someone will get hurt. Here's a news story on skinheads attacking some emos (for reasons unbeknownst to me, the emos here are referred to as pokemones):

Here in America, we just like to passively hate on emos.

I'm just happy they have a real reason to cry now.

A Passive Aggressivist's Manifesto

2008-03-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

I write because it's the best way for me to deal with conflict. I'm a non-confrontational person. I tend to hold my malcontent in, unless someone really close to me happens to have an open ear. The paper (or computer screen) seems to be the best place to put my thoughts.

Our lifestyle today makes it so easy to be passive aggressive. As our country goes through the largest set of known injustices since the Vietnam era, we sit around and blog about it instead of actively protesting, writing our Congressmen or running for office - even those who say they care don't vote.

Technology makes it so easy to do just about anything. Look at me, I'm writing stuff that people can read if they want! I can pick one of 10,000 songs in my iTunes library to listen to at any given time (and yes, more than half of them were obtained legally, which is more than most of you tyrants can say). I have no need to actually go to the university's library, other than simply to find a quiet place to study, because I can find all my sources online, and getting in contact with nearly anyone I want when I want is possible simply with the push of a few buttons on my cell phone.

But one thing we can't do absolutely through the interweb is change the world the way we want. Most of us will hide behind the false anonymity our CPUs provide and critique everything that is going on around us, with little intention of making a physical move toward change than the minimal lifting our typing fingers. Instead of being outraged and protesting to the point of the National Guard's involvement in our quelling, we now don't even respond when someone talks about Iraq. We care about the fact that we are faced with injustices, but not enough to actually do anything about it.

As if there weren't enough humans that tend to act away from the fight and more toward the flight, technology not only lets us hide from conflict, but helps us avoid confrontation all together. It's difficult for us to ask which of our roommates drank all our beer, let alone which one spilled beer on and ruined an expensive guitar amplifier. The bigger the problem, the more we like to complain about it and pity ourselves, but the less likely we are to move toward resolving the situation. Just as there will never be another band as universally popular as the Beatles, there will never be another political protest as legendary as Kent State.

And you know what? I'm probably not going to do any more to change the world than the next guy with a blog or a few economics classes under his belt, though I like to think I will, but to get us out of this mess we're in, Ron Paul supporters can tell you we need more than just passion and knowledge, but numbers as well. Speak your mind, but also show people how you feel, they might just be inspired.

Just don't do it like Rev. Jeremiah Wright.