Sometimes you feel like a Nut (goddess of the firmament)...

Being an Arizona resident for almost 25 years, I have found myself taking an interest in AZ history.  I am sucker for desert landscapes and modern architecture.  While surfing Metafilter, I stumbled across a photo gallery of before/after shots from across the state, some pics dating back to the late 19th century.  If you're from Arizona, and you want to see your hometown before highway construction, you'll probably find it here.

Talk about surprise guests!  Willie Nelson recently held a concert in Amsterdam with special guest Snoop Dogg (donning tassled tan-suede jacket), and they performed a few songs together.  Nelson's "Superman" and Snoop's "My Medicine" (sound quality is bad, but it is funny to watch Nelson sway to thumping bass) are the names of their collaborative efforts.

Although a book would be more fitting, this website contains a decent amount of information  of the gods an goddesses of Ancient Egypt, and their respective roles in the theology.  Anyone who wants to know about the scandalous conception of Horus (Isis had to work with Osiris' severed penis...) or what NOT to do when Anpu weighs your heart against the feather of Maat should definitely check it out. 

Okay, I'm getting back to studying for finals....

Pulp Fiction

     My topic was homophobia, and the film seemed to hint at the phenomenon.  Vincent and Jules discuss the scenario in which a co-worker was thrown off a four story building, apparently for rubbing Ms. Wallace's feet.  During their discourse, Vincent asks if Jules would let a man rub his feet, and Jules responds with a sense of disdain.  Once they are interrogating their targets, Jules asks: "Does Marsellus Wallace look like a bitch, then why are you trying to fuck him like a bitch", displaying a sense of homophobic sentiment.

     Later in the movie, Marsellus is raped by the store owner, and the viewer can sense the shame felt by the kingpin.  His embarrassment is primarily over the raping, and Marsellus doesn't directly show any signs of homophobia.  However, he lets Butch live under the condition that no one knows of the incident, as it would be against the "toughness" of leading an assassin ring.  This is another mild form of homophobia.

     Tarantino's style of writing is unconventional, and it works in many ways.  Discourse between characters is often tedious, but to the point that one can see that they are engaging in true arguments.  These arguments (or in some cases, plain conversations) are akin to the everyday conversations that we all have, ranging from television to food. 

Hotdogs of the Post-Apocalypse!

     After reading an article in the AZ Daily Sun, I kind of started thinking about food shortage.  Experts (if that's what you're into) estimate a huge problem by 2050.  What would I do without thirty different candy bars to choose from?  I'm not saying that sarcastically, I really dig candy...perhaps it is diabetes mellitus creeping in.  In short, it's stressful to think about food shortage, aside from my consumer habits.  

     Then my friend Sofa Gabe informed me of the massive Southwest draught that might or might not be taking place.  Apparently, L.A., San Diego, Las Vegas, and Phoenix have only thrived through hydro-engineering.  Perhaps our aquifer, the Colorado river, and the various bodies of water that feed Hoover dam are only anomalies in the grand scheme of geology?  Once again my contented nature is threatened, as I tremble in fear of losing my bubble baths. 

     My mother is a born-again Christian who fully expects rapture at any moment, the Mayans have given us 2012, and global warming is the newest buzz-term (as "google" was a few years ago).  All the doomsday vernacular is making my lungs gasp for air.

     I work the narrow, yellow hot dog stand on south San Francisco on Fridays and frequently wonder why I stick around.  The tips are great, and I have a Protestant work ethic to boot, so the job is quite fitting.  Last Friday, during our last full moon before Beltane, a guy puked in the dining room.  In a separate incident, a fight erupted only feet from the cash register.  While mopping up blood at two in the morning, I felt empathetic to those wastoids.  How difficult is it for some of us to digest this "end of the world" crap?  Perhaps we have overheated pistons, even though I like to feel like we're in cruise control.  If the human race makes it past the next hundred years, we might be able to finally dismiss the doomsday meme.  It has been freaking us out for centuries now, and is getting stale.  

Another Person's Writing Style

     So I just got back from a camping trip in Moab, talk about fun!  Utah is absolutely beautiful, and reminds me of other places in Arizona.  Once, when I was little, my parents took me on a road trip from Santa Fe, NM, to Las Vegas, NV., and I never forgot how interesting the landscape of Utah was.  We were gone for three days, so I am a little exhausted, but still super excited about my experience!  My friends and I went climbing, kayaking, and mountain-biking.  It just goes to show that you can never have too much fun!

Fingerprint Technology, Particle Acceleration, and Troop Support

Most of us, at some point in our life, will be employed at a workplace that requires us to "clock-in" in some fashion.  Although many employers still use the old-fashioned time card, companies that have the money to implement ID cards and time ledgers are increasingly doing so.  Many argue that this is due to the easiness of providing false information on a time card.  New developments have provided the possibility of fingerprint recognition when entering and leaving work, with some companies already using this technology.  Do you believe this is a violation of civil liberties?

One of the greatest science experiments in history is underway this coming summer, and it has garnered plenty of support as well as opposition.  About 100 meters beneath Cern (Switzerland) is the construction of the Large Hadron Collider, a particle accelerator of unprecedented speed and power.  With this accelerator, scientists are hoping to find new clues on black holes, string theory, and other "missing links" in the standard model of astrophysics.  Already people have drawn protest, as some believe that this experiment is capable of creating miniature black holes right here on earth (as this is part of the aspirations of Cern scientists).  Does a "black hole" in Europe sound like a step in the right direction for modern science?  To check out more on the debate, listen to NPR's 04/11/2008 broadcast of Talk of the Nation: Science Friday.

A student in one of my classes is a member of our armed forces.  Although we haven't spoken at length about the politics of the Iraq war (which I have been strongly opposed to since 03/20/2003), I have gotten a sense of the disdain that many troops are feeling towards this occupation.  My father was there for two years, and he has relayed the same kinds of sentiment.  This classmate told me of a website that is a resource for writing our troops in Iraq.  While many of us are against the prolonged occupation occurring in Iraq, many of us realize how hard it is for the men and women out there, regardless of political fancies.  Check out www.amillionthanks.org for information on how to write a soldier or two.

SHARE THE LOAD FRODO

There's nothing I love more than pitching a tent in a living room.  Actually, it's a guilty pleasure of mine to face a television into the entrance of a tent and watch some Disney movie full blast.  In my opinion, the Disney film has suffered in quality for the last ten years of so.  I remember sometime after Hunchback of Notre Dame, they released Dinosaur in an attempt to keep up with the computer graphics industry (Pixar, Dreamworks, etc.), with minimal success.  A return to traditional forms of animation would be optimal.  

While I'm on the topic of guilty pleasures, I'll admit another one I'm slightly ashamed of.  VH1's Rock of Love is a habit that keeps me in touch with the hallucination they call "reality television".  Although I enjoy this program, it is proof of how weird it is to be infatuated with someone famous.  I have seen this admiration in many forms.  Some people I know were crying the day Heath Ledger died.  Why is this?  Are some of us THAT emotionally connected to a celebrity's well being?  It would make sense.  As an only child with a mother working graveyard shifts, it was sensible to spend my time (when not at school) watching television.  When I was five, I had a cable box in my bedroom, and was soaking in 6-7 hours of T.V. a day.  This kind of exposure to popular media has retained itself throughout my life, even when I have minimal exposure to television.  I guess you could say I'm an addict.

Paper Topic!

As my paper topic, I have chosen to illustrate the lack of recognition and credit received for early video game composers, in particular, the musicians of Nintendo.  In contrast to the vast appreciation of European composers, the video game genre of composition is mostly enjoyed by the players themselves.  The technological innovations that Nintendo established (4 to 5 tracks of synthesizer sounds, whereas earlier consoles were restricted to two) set the stage for newcomers in the video game industry, and left artists with versatility unknown prior to 8-bit gaming. 

Elephants etcetera...

The ability to recognize oneself (in a mirror for instance) is a rare phenomenon in the animal kingdom.  Many researchers believe self-recognition to be the first stepping stone in establishing a sense of identity, a trait that only humans possess (as far as we know).  Self-recognition has been found in only a few species, with great apes, dolphins, orcas, and elephants being the only known species to possess this faculty.  This acknowledgment of the self is one thing, being able to bust out a decent self-portrait is another.  Check out this recent video of an elephant painting a self-portrait, using artistic skills such as depth perception (notice how he/she illustrates the hind legs) and contrast of color.  It's no surprise that these elephant paintings are making big money in the art world. 

As a fan of Mad magazine in my youth, I was usually ignorant of the political undertones within each issue.  Most of my peers had bought these magazines for film parodies and Spy vs. Spy cartoons.  In light of Mad T.V. (a horrible show in my opinion), there are many efforts to preserve the artistic and intellectual endeavors of past contributors, Al Jaffee and Sergio Aragones in particular.  Here is a collection of the "fold-ins" that used to grace the back page of every issue, graciously provided by the New York Times.  

For those of you who are looking for some spiritual outlet but don't know where to look, here is an alternative religion for avid science-fiction geeks like me.  I am sure that if there are people willing to translate the entire Klingon language, then there are people willing to worship the brainchildren of George Lucas.

Can anyone direct me to the nearest W.C.?  If you've ever done any amount of traveling overseas, you are probably familiar with a plethora of different bathroom signs.  The following link is a photojournal of international bathroom signs, each making serious effort to help travelers discern men and women facilities.  Some of them are OVERLY obvious!

Finally, I want to relay some musical resources that I've had recent access to.  If you're anything like me, you love to hear the occasional video game song.  For many of us, it's not only good listening, but it's also a form of nostalgia.  I feel the same way about television programs too.  A good theme song ("Charles in Charge" for example) can go a long way.  Here are websites that contain midi files of video game music (categorized by console) and television theme songs.  The midi cheesiness adds to the nostalgia.

Musical Fancies

Last week, a bootlegged copy of a 1967 live performance of The Velvet Underground surfaced, being the only live recording of the band from that year.  While mostly elaborating on previously recorded material, this recording also includes the previously unreleased single "I'm Not a Young Man Anymore" as well as a 19 minute version of "Sister Ray".  Apparently, this is relatively important news in the rock community, since the recordings are over 40 years old.  Check out the new (I mean, old) V.U. single here.

The saga-metal quartet Man-o-war, who in 1994 shattered The Who's world record of loudest concert (129.5 decibels and 126 decibels, respectively), are the cheesiest musicians alive.  One must wonder if these guys are actually serious.  Here is a 1987 video of their song "Gloves of Metal", in which their rehearsed performance plays out like a Frank Frazetta (Conan the Barbarian, Heavy Metal) calendar.

For those of you who are into Electric Light Orchestra (which should be the case if you like The Beatles), you may be familiar with popular songs like "Telephone Line" and "Strange Magic".  You might not be familiar with the musical efforts of previous E.L.O. band members, such as Roy Wood's doo-wop inspired Wizzard.  Here are videos for "Angel Fingers" and "Rock and Roll Winter".  A quick warning to those who are into contemporary, baby-faced pop:  these guys are kind of ugly.

Lastly, I wanted to post a video of old Sly and The Family Stone rehearsals from 1971.  There are four or five songs in this compilation, including a tear-jerking version of their classic "Stand!".  This is the kind of band practice I would love of be part of.

Robots and Puppets/Monuments and Saxophonists

     What does one discuss as an ice-breaker in an assignment like this?  The range of topics is almost too large to feel comfortable with, so I suppose I'll start my assignment with a brief list of some things that have peaked my interest lately.  My generation has the technological savvy to relay their passions, opinions, and experiences through a web log, but it seems awkward to do so under classroom conditions.  Having worked on a blog before, I know the content of most web logs as merely streams of consciousness.  Sometimes I'll discover a fierce stance on an important issue.  Other times I'll be reading a list of opinions, the likes and dislikes of the author's fancy.  To keep things simple and introductory, I will indulge in a list of things that have caught my eye over the last several weeks.  

     

     As a huge Jim Henson fan and an aspiring puppeteer, I have watched many episodes of the original "Muppet Show".  You know, the one with the heckling elders sitting in the balcony?  For the last year or so, Hastings has carried rentals of the first season of "The Muppet Show" (1976-1981), but I haven't seen any new seasons available.  Luckily, YouTube features a plethora of muppet clips.  Here is a demonstration of crocodile etiquette.   Everyone thinks that Animal is an incredible drummer, but he pales in comparison to swing great Buddy Rich.

     Why bother with puppets when you can have a violin-playing robot?  Toyota seems to be entering the robotics craze with the introduction of this musician model.  They have also designed wheeled robots for human or cargo transport, utilizing wheelchair design and the technologies made possible by Segway scooters.  This is a positive leap for Toyota, but they still have huge competition in the humanoid robot market.  This "simroid" model is used for training dental students and is human enough to creep you out.

     As a history major, I suppose it fitting to discuss current historical/archeological news.  This Associated Press article describes a recent discovery of the oldest known monument in South America (proven by carbon dating).  Found in modern-day Peru, this archeological find will raise questions about the origins of civilization in the Americas.  The monument is estimated to be 5,500 years old, contemporary with the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia.  

     Finally, as a jazz geek, I felt it necessary to include some links to live performances of a few of the greatest names in avant-garde jazz.  This John Coltrane piece is called "Naima", which was the name of his first wife.  There's a part in this rendition where the drummer starts what could be defined as a disco beat, although I don't suppose that disco existed at the time!  Here is a performance of Thelonious Monk's "Round About Midnight".  It seems this performance is taking place on some television program.  If any of you enjoy these artists, I would suggest hearing two albums: Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" (1965) and Monk's "Solo Monk" (1964).