So, about this Obama guy...

We have a new president.  That's awesome, no doubt.

In many ways, I'm excited.

I'm looking forward to the future in many ways.  Hopefully, we are going to have a whole new set of environmental and social policies that will change the very course of our country.

We're going to have a president who supports many of the same social policies that I support.

I welcome this change.

But I cannot, and will not, be able to get over his support of Israel, especially after what has happened in Gaza.

It's an odd feeling, not supporting Obama in Shorewood. It feels like a secret that I should keep hidden from my peers, for fear of retribution. 

It'll be an interesting four years.

How Soulja Boy Tell 'Em is Revolutionizing Music (For Better or Worse)

Wow, this ended up being way odder and random than I expected. Enjoy. Sorry for the randomness, it's just been on my mind lately.

I love music. It's an integral piece of my life: rap, rock, techno, it's all shaped who I am today. I've especially fallen in love with ip-hop and rap music in recent years: the hypnotizing hooks and rhythmic beats mesmerize me, the meaningful lyrics about political turmoil and the struggles of life in the a young person growing up on the streets of the inner city.



So when I first heard the #1 Billboard Top 100 hit "Crank Dat" by some kid named Soulja Boy Tell 'Em.



And I almost cried.

What had happened to my hip hop?! Where were the insightful lyrics, now replaced with cries of "Yah Trick, Yah!"? What happened to the rhythmic beats and melodies that once made my head bob up and down with the flow, now that simply make it shake side to side with a depressing no.

But recently, I've come to realize the genius of Soulja Boy Tell 'Em (read:his manager). He is the first artist I've seen who is really playing and making music with purely profits in mind. He makes catchy beats and annoying, yet memorable hooks that make perfect YouTube videos and ringtones. His lyrics hold no intellectual value, but that seems to work in today's fast paced world. Few care about the lyrics of their favorite songs, so why should the artist?

None of this should be taken as a compliment for Soulja Boy Tell 'Em. I truly dislike his music. But there is no denying that he is now a musical force to be reckoned with, and he is paving the way for even more vapid, self obsessed, crap music for years to come.

You Tell 'Em Soulja Boy.  You Tell 'Em.

Can Obama haz presidency? YUS HE CAN!

Well, it's been a ridiculous two year warpath to the White House. and now it's over.

I am happy. Yes we can. Yes we can.

John's blog on that wonderful day we all drove to see him speak sent chills of joy up my spine.  I miss those days. I missed that feeling.

I'm getting a little of it back now. Slowly at first.  It's coming.

I am happy. Good luck, Mr. Obama.

Intense

Word of the Day: Intense

Intense, (adj): Possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to an extreme degree

That word sums up a lot of things going on right now, from the trivial to the life changing.

Whether it's World Affairs Game and the excitement of Political Theory or the every developing relationships that swirl around me, all of it is intense.

I'm worried that I'm letting the intensity of it all consume me, distract me from what really matters.

Let's hope not.

So, time to blog!

I figured it might be nice to have an outlet to express myself if needed, and what better place than a blog. I already have a tech blog,  Torrent the Love, but I wanted a place to just be me. Hope this goes well.

Now is a big time in my life: relationships are developing and changing, connections are made and broken, futures are decided, voyages are taken...

...it's pretty daunting just writing about it.

It's really daunting.

On a slightly more positive note, I suggest you all check out DJ Spooky AKA That Subliminal Kid. I discovered him from a friend's reccomendation, and he's fantastic.

He has such unique ideas and philosophies about music, life, and the sharing of ideas.

I wish we could all be a little more like DJ Spooky.