The 500 Greatest Albums Quest

I have decided to set my self a new goal in life; I am going to listen to the 500 Greatest Albums of all time according to Rolling Stone. Now some of these albums I have heard before, but I plan on listening to them again as part of this quest. As much as I look forward to enjoying those albums again, I am more excited about discovering new music. I feel like I should have checked a lot of these albums out a long time ago. Hopefully, as I go through this mission, I will try to write reviews of some of the works. After all, these are supposed to be the best right? What will I think about them? I am really curious as to what I will think about some of the albums of musical genres I am not as familiar with. It is all part of making me a better music lover and expert. Wish me luck!

Uncomfortablness and Ignorance of Racism

As I attempt to write a response to the readings from Rothenberg, I am unsure where to begin. Although I have encountered some of this subject matter before, it is still difficult to process, and I find it troubling to me personally. Of course, Bonilla-Silva warns that the material will make you feel "quite uncomfortable" (131), and he is right. Racism is a difficult topic to discuss, and despite any improvements we have made as a society, it is still a rampant problem. This article points out how racism like almost any system has evolved and adapted to stay alive.

It is difficult to change the system because as McIntosh points out white people are not taught about their power and privilege(173). To a certain extent, I believe we are actively taught to ignore it because to admit privilege is to acknowledge a certain extent of racism, and in our current society, to admit to being racist is bad. Therefore, it is difficult for us to acknowledge privilege because we do not want to be seen as racist. Instead it is easier to plead ignorance to the situation and just admit the disadvantage of other groups.

Some Geeky Obersvations

While watching some tv shows lately, I have been making some incredibly geeky observations. Stuff like references to other elements of geek culture and attention to detail. Here are a few of them.

• While watching an episode of The X-Files, I noticed that Mulder resides at apartment number 42. How appropripate. The man who seeks the truth resides at the address which happens to be the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything.
• With the series finale behind me, I began watching Battlestar Galactica with Liza. Now I knew the ship got dirtier as the series went on, but I did not realize how much until this viewing of the miniseries. The ship and its interior such as the CIC is immaculate at the start of the series. Talk about an attention to detail. It is just further testament to the pain staking level of continuity the staff was prepared for.
• Recently, I have become hooked on the show The IT Crowd. One of my favorite elements of the show is the geeky clutter in the background of the office. Particularly, I love the board games which include Ticket to Ride. My girlfriend laughed at me because I was disappointed that they are missing from the first series. I'll try to pinpoint the exact episode they appear and try to identify the exact games.

As I watch more TV this fall, expect more geeky observations. It may become a new hobby of mine.

Obama Has Finally Disappointed Me

As you may or may not know, Obama is going to practice a little diplomacy. In the near future, he is arranging a get together with Professor Gates and the officer who arrested him. The three are going to discuss the situation and the issues it brought forth. Now, I applaud the decision to discuss these crucial and critical topics over beer, but I am disappointed by Obama's choice of a cold one. Professor Gates will be drinking refreshing Blue Moon, the officer will have a cool Red Strip, but Obama is drinking a Budweiser.

Why Obama? Why?

For a man who preaches and practices being green and American created products, why would you choose the giant Budweiser? There are several American microbreweries that would have served as a better choice. Many practice green brewing techniques and make organic beers. Although Budweiser is called the king of American beers, it is not even owned by Americans anymore. It is owned by an international conglomorate. The craft brewers are American owned and American made. They would have been a better choice for this wonderful healing opportunity.

For shame Mr. President. For shame.

Please in the future, use a craft brew. If foreign diplomats are ever in the White House to discuss politics and global issues, share with them a true American beer. One that is made by true American patriots like our forefathers. These men and women have crafted a successful beer revolution, and God bless them!

Marvel Divas

Yesterday, my roommate's friend shared with me a comic she recently got. It is called Marvel Divas, and it is the first of a four issue series. Based on the cover and my read of it, I would guess the comic is Marvel's attempt at luring in new female readers. To be honest with you, I think the whole thing is just plain goofy.

The comic tells of the relationship among four female B-league superheroes. I have been out of the comic world for a bit, but I do recognize at least two of the characters on the cover: Black Cat and Firestar. The other two heroines are Photon and Hellcat.

Anyway, the story reads a lot like an episode of Sex in the City with a dash of a Lifetime movie. The gals talk about their love problems and sex life to one another. As you can guess none of them are too lucky. At the end of the issue, the comic touches on the realm of Lifetime tearjerker when one of the super heroines reveals she has cancer. It makes the story even more melodramatic, and for an extra punch, the issue ends in a cliffhanger.

The entire comic really does give off a strong Sex in the City vibe. In fact, the main narrator of the comic is a writer. The publishing of her second book is what kicks off the story. I am not really sure what made this sound like a good idea, but hopefully, it works out for Marvel.

Has Obama Been Watching Chuck?

While reading the paper, I discovered an article about the Obama administration using colleges to recruit future intelligence agencies. Immediately, I thought of the first season episode of Chuck, "Chuck Versus the Alma Mater." In this episode, it is revealed that Chuck's former professor has been recruiting students for the CIA for years. In fact, he was responsible for recruiting Chuck's old roommate.

Well, now it appears the government will actually be taking steps to such a process, and they're looking at basically creating a degree in spying at certain colleges. Students will receive federal funding with the possible stipulation of having to work for a certain agency. They're also basically guaranteed summer internships. The program is still in the planning stages. I have no idea how I feel about this, but I certainly hope they did in fact get the idea from Chuck.