Monday, December 31, 2012

Playlist #47 (Happy NYE!)


1. Hollis - Machinedrum
2. From The Greatest Origins - Sweet Valley (Wavves' Nathan Williams and his brother are back with Jenova, their second Sweet Valley release. It's just as good, if not better, than the first. It's free on their Bandcamp, I think. Thanks to Damaris for posting this on Tumblr!)
3. The Alternate Earth - Sweet Valley
4. Hurricane - Sweet Valley
5. Wide Eyes - Local Natives
6. Cards and Quarters - Local Natives
7. Breakers - Local Natives
8. Sorry For The Delay - Grizzly Bear (Horn of Plenty-like Grizzly Bear, in that it's mostly acoustic, lo-fi, and pretty much Ed Droste solo material.)
9. Repeating The Circle - Ceremony (Some good post-punk from the modern era; similar to pre-Unknown Pleasures Joy Division when they were a little less dark. Also reminiscent of Devo's stuff.)
10. Brace Yourself - Ceremony
11. Nosebleed - Ceremony
12.  Quarantine - Ceremony
13. Motion Picture Soundtrack - Radiohead (One of the greatest Radiohead songs ever. The Kid A version and the '95 acoustic version both. Just...damn.)
14. Khangregation - Soul Khan (The token hip hop song on this playlist. Khan used to be a battle rapper and his wordplay was off the charts. This definitely holds true in the songs I've heard from him. Oh, and a Tobias Funke reference is always a plus.)

Monday, December 24, 2012

Playlist #46


Just realized the predominance of electronic/hip hop music in this playlist, with the exception of a token post rock song. Well, enjoy! And Merry Christmas Eve, to all religious and secular folk alike.

1. Default - Atoms for Peace (Can't wait for the album!!)
2. So Many Details - Toro Y Moi
3. Getting There - Flying Lotus Ft. Niki Randa
4. Heave(n) - Flying Lotus
5. me Yesterday//Corded - Flying Lotus
6. Immaculation - Captain Murphy Ft. Azizi Gibson & Jeremiah Jae
7. The Prisoner - Captain Murphy
8. LVL - A$AP Rocky (Clams Casino beats are just too damn good.)
9. Phoenix - A$AP Rocky (Likewise for Dangermouse.)
10. Suddenly - A$AP Rocky
11. Run or Fly - Pro Era (R.I.P. to Capital Steez who passed away earlier today. Dude was younger than me, damn.)
12. F A Rap Critic - Pro Era
13. Bun N Cheese - Pro Era
14. Little Pleasures - Tokimonsta Ft. Gavin Turek
15. Darkest (Dim) - Tokimonsta Ft. Gavin Turek
16. Day Job - Tokimonsta
17. The Keeper - Bonobo Ft. Andreya Triana
18. Cream Soda (Pt. 2) - Machinedrum
19. Icya - Machinedrum
20. Countchocula - Machinedrum
21. Def In It - Machinedrum
22. Uptown - Machinedrum
23. Realization - Machinedrum
24. Kids World - Machinedrum
25. We Drift Like Worried Fire - Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Monday, December 17, 2012

Playlist #45


WINTER BREAK HAS BEGUN!!! Really looking forward to this one. But without further ado...

1. In My Continental - Atmosphere
2. Michael A Grammar - Broadcast
3. Transmission (Joy Division cover) - Low (A slowcore cover of a fast-paced JD song; great in an entirely different way)
4. In Limbo - Radiohead
5. Arise, Awake - Paul Banks
6. Streetwalker - Delta Spirit
7. Natural Anthem - The Postal Service [Heard this on KUCR and it took me back to high school. Revisited this album, but turns out that this is the only song I still like. Someone should capitalize on the indie breakcore (MY TERM DONT STEEL) sound that this song has going on.]
8. Last Post on the Bugle - The Libertines
9. Everything Toro y Moi. So bummed that I hadn't given his stuff a listen any earlier, but so not bummed because his music is so damn good. So far I have his 2 main albums, Body Angles, and Freaking Out. If he has any other standout works I might've missed, let me know!
10. Small Time Shot Away - Massive Attack
11. Floating World - Bowery Electric
12. I Quit Girls - Japandroids (I think 50% of their appeal is the cool-ass name.)
13. Wet Hair - Japandroids
14. Heart Sweats - Japandroids
15. For Real - Okkervil River
16. A Glow - Okkervil River
17. Movement and Location - Punch Brothers (PROGRESSIVE BLUEGRASS FOO)
18. Who's Feeling Young Now - Punch Brothers
19. Kid A (Radiohead cover) - Punch Brothers (Oh, man. Do they do this song justice.)
20. Patient - Twin Shadow [Dude is making New Wave music in 2012. Or as one might call it...New New Wave (MY TErM DONT STAEL)]
21. Mirror in the Dark - Twin Shadow
22. Lines - Big Boi Ft. A$AP Rocky & Phantogram [Yeah, Big Boi had a number of indie dudes (Wavves, Phantogram, Little Dragon, on his new album so I had to give it a listen.]
23. Shoes for Running - Big Boi Ft. B.O.B. & Wavves
24. Descending - Big Boi Ft. Little Dragon (The outro track and also my favorite. It's pretty much a downtempo Little Dragon song with Big Boi saying like 2 sentences at the end.)
25. Breezeblocks - Alt-J (Besides the fact that this guy sounds like Adam Sandler in some parts of the song, a nice tune, nonetheless.)
26. Cold (entire album) - Be Forest (Serendipitously discovered this band as I came across their cover of Japandroid's 'I Quit Girls' on Youtube. They're an indie band from Italy and I've been listening to them non-stop. Sound is a delicate mixture between shoegaze and post-punk, like The Horrors.)
27. Hanged Man - Be Forest (Favorite of their songs so far.)
28. I.O. - Be Forest
29. True Love Will Find You In The End - Daniel Johnston
30. Mighty Morphin Foreskin - Captain Murphy (AKA FLYING LOTUS. AW SHIT, YOUR SECRET IDENTITY HAS BEEN COMPROMISED, MR. LOTUS. Oh, everyone already knew? Nvm :/ Anyway, the whole Duality mixtape is awesome.)

Monday, December 3, 2012

Return from an 8 month hiatus! + Playlist #44

Oh man, so it's been 8 months since my last post on Blogspot and even longer since the last post that wasn't just a playlist. So briefly, this summer wasn't exactly ideal; plans for summer school and internships unfortunately fell through, leaving my unproductive ass at home without much to do. But then again, I moved out of that shittily-managed apartment, a countless number of L.A. trips were made, my brother and I effectively utilized our Universal Studios passes, the Lakers got Dwight, I discovered the amazing UCB Theater, went to Conan again, and MET AUBREY PLAZA. Now, I am back at school, currently obsessed with The Wire and Homeland, well-settled into my new job as an RA, and finals are just next week.


1. Waves - Joey Bada$$
2. DSL (Da Special List) - Joey Bada$$
3. Arrested Development - Kool AD (of Das Racist)
4. Brand New Dance - Das Racist
5. Drift Dive - The Antlers
6. Nothing Ever Happened - Deerhunter
7. Desire Lines - Deerhunter
8. Hazel St. - Deerhunter
9. Phantom Other - Department of Eagles
10. No Name #3 - Elliott Smith
11. Cough Coughing - Menomena
12. Hippies is Punks - Wavves
13. Life Like Weeds - Modest Mouse
14. Fog - Radiohead
15. Aftermath - Tricky
16. Lonerism (entire album) - Tame Impala
17. You Should All Be Murdered - Another Sunny Day
18. Grown Up - Danny Brown
19. Yellow Elevator #2 - The Black Angels
20. Fields - XXYYXX
21. Brainy - The National
22. Corporeal - Broadcast
23. Lights Out - Broadcast
24. Barkpench - Zeroh
25. Got It All (This Can't Be Living Now) - Portugal. The Man

Monday, April 9, 2012

Playlist #43


1. New England by Billy Bragg
2. Equus by Blonde Redhead
3. Ridin' (Just the snippet :/) by The KickDrums Ft. Lana Del Rey & A$AP Rocky
4. Notorious Origin by Biggie & Lana Del Rey (Another Terry Urban mash-up tape. Some tracks were a bit off-beat, but overall decent.)
5. Suicidal Axl by Biggie & Lana Del Rey
6. Everything I Want by Biggie & Lana Del Rey
7. No Chance Without You by Biggie & Lana Del Rey
8. Cool & Calm by Dumbfoundead
9. Wax Rose Saturday (Remux Edit) by Mux Mool (Cool-ass electronic producer I came across. He's on Ghostly International, an electronic music label I've heard of through Tycho and Phantogram. I can easily describe his sound as Flying Lotus meets Royksopp.)
10. Valley Girls by Mux Mool
11. Lady Linda (Devonwho Edit) by Mux Mool
12. Hog Knuckles (Alex B. Remix) by Mux Mool
13. Brothers by Mux Mool
14. Live at 7-11 by Mux Mool
15. Raw Gore by Mux Mool
16. Come As You Are (Nirvana cover) by Yuna (A friend of mine posted this on Cobain's death-aversay earlier this week and just thought it was a really awesome take on one of my favorite Nirvana songs. She was also on Conan the other day and apparently she's a very big name in Malaysia.)
17. Humanimals (entire album) by Grand Ole Party (Only album released by this SoCal group before they broke up. Their sound is essentially garage rock with that White Stripes-y/Black Keys-y blues sound. Pretty much a lesser version of those 2 bands with a Karen O-esque lead, who is now with the Dum Dum Girls, another good band to check out. Overall solid album, no true stand-outs, but I really liked "Gypsy March" and "Troubadour of the Water".)
18. Collapse by Clem Snide
19. Something Beautiful by Clem Snide
20. Coming 2 America by Ludacris (Lol, had to make it an even 20...)

Monday, April 2, 2012

Playlist #42


1. The Zone by The Weeknd
2. Rolling Stone by The Weeknd
3. Respect by Otis Redding
4. Mr. Pitiful by Otis Redding
5. Love Man by Otis Redding
6. Satisfaction by Otis Redding
7. Security by Otis Redding
8. Hard to Handle by Otis Redding
9. Cigarettes and Coffee by Otis Redding
10. My Girl by Otis Redding
11. Try A Little Tenderness by Otis Redding
12. Sara Smile by Hall & Oates
13. Loser by Beck
14. Pay No Mind (Snoozer) by Beck
15. Blackhole by Beck
16. Orphans by Beck Ft. Cat Power
17. Chemtrails by Beck
18. Gamma Ray by Beck
19. Brooklyn Zoo by ODB
20. Serve the Servants by Nirvana
21. Automatic Stop by The Strokes
22. Obstacle 1 by Interpol
23. Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely by Husker Du
24. Atmosphere by Joy Division
25. Do You Love Me? by Clem Snide

Sunday, March 25, 2012

RE: Playlists

In an effort to keep my shit blog alive in one way or another, I started posting these weekly playlists; a simple idea inspired by Radiohead's blog. The purpose of which is to inform the very, very many of you who care, of what I am listening to. But more importantly, I look to spread some good music and also perhaps serve as a reminder for a good song/artist you haven't given a listen to in a while. If you're having trouble finding a song, just contact me via e-mail, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, phone, in person, Skype, Oovoo, MySpace, Friendster, Blogger, Youtube, Xanga, postal service, AIM, MSN Messenger, telegram, fax, Pony Express, telepathy, World Star Hip Hop, etc. and I'll hook you up.

Playlist #41 (Pt. 2)


1. Beach House (All of their albums. Used to have their self-titled on repeat, and finally got around to listening to their other 2 albums this week. Fucking amazing. That is all. Got a leaked copy of Bloom the other day, but have yet to give it a listen.)
2. Warsaw by Sharon Van Etten
3. Give Out by Sharon Van Etten
4. In Line by Sharon Van Etten
5. (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay by Otis Redding (Wish I would've discovered this song a lot earlier...)
6. Mad World by Gary Jules
7. Melody Day by Caribou
8. She's The One by Caribou
9. Odessa by Caribou
10. Cherry-Coloured Funk by Cocteau Twins (Why wasn't this on their greatest hits cd?)
11. Heaven or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins
12. Road, River, and Rail by Cocteau Twins
13. Frou-Frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires by Cocteau Twins
14. Happy Mess by Atmosphere
15. Passing Me By by The Pharcyde
16. Party and Bullshit by Biggie
17. In My Car by Wiz Khalifa Ft. Juicy J.
18. Feel Me Flow by Naughty By Nature
19. XXX (album) by Danny Brown (Always saw this dude on Pitchfork and Tumblr, but had no idea who he was; didn't even know he was a rapper until I recently checked him out! Needless to say, this dude is weird...and great. Kool Keith + ODB + Pharaohe Monch = Danny Brown.)
20. Grown Up by Danny Brown

Playlist #41 (Pt. 1)


1. The Killing Moon by Echo & the Bunnymen (Always.)
2. Get Down by Grieves
3. Scar Gardens by Grieves
4. It's Been a Long Time by Rakim
5. Fakest Year Ever by Clams Casino
6. Ma Fleur by The Cinematic Orchestra
7. Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers
8. Good In Every Word by Cotton Jones
9. Cotton & Velvet by Cotton Jones
10. Blood Red Sentimental Blues by Cotton Jones
11. I Am The Changer by Cotton Jones
12. No One Likes a Bleeder by Page France
13. Siberian Breaks by MGMT
14. Where You'll Find Me Now by Neutral Milk Hotel
15. Best Fool by Intuition
16. Pretty Flacko by A$AP Rocky
17. I Own Swag by Lil' B The Based God
18. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue by Bob Dylan
19. Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out by The Antlers
20. Epilogue by The Antlers (I've said it before and I'll say it again, the concept of this album has movie potential. Aspiring filmmakers, jump on this shit!)

Monday, March 19, 2012

Playlist #40


1. Heart Cooks Brain by Modest Mouse
2. Edit the Sad Parts by Modest Mouse
3. Don't Worry Baby by The Beach Boys
4. I Get Around by The Beach Boys
5. Head South by Modest Mouse
6. Novocain by Modest Mouse
7. Willful Suspension of Disbelief by Modest Mouse
8. Florida by Modest Mouse
9. Broke by Modest Mouse
10. Oldie by OFWGKTA (Earl's verse...damn.)
11. A Woman's Voice by Wax Tailor
12. How I Feel by Wax Tailor
13. The Man With No Soul by Wax Tailor
14. Sometimes by Wax Tailor
15. Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair (Jaffa Remix) by Nina Simone
16. Feeling Good by Nina Simone
17. I Put a Spell on You by Nina Simone
18. Do What You Gotta Do by Nina Simone
19. True Love Waits by Radiohead
20. Wicked Games by The Weeknd

Monday, March 12, 2012

Playlist #39


1. A Means To An End by Joy Division
2. She Lives In My Lap by Outkast
3. Swallowtail by The Brian Jonestown Massacre
4. Season of the Witch by Donovan
5. Lamplight by Bombay Bicycle Club
6. Evening/Morning by Bombay Bicycle Club
7. Magnet by Bombay Bicycle Club
8. Rinse Me Down by Bombay Bicycle Club
9. How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep by Bombay Bicycle Club
10. Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime by Beck
11. Little Man by Jon Brion
12. Everyone Has A Summer by Lovage
13. Koala's Lament by Lovage
14. Teleport 2 Me by WZRD Ft. Desire
15. By Your Side by The Peach Kings
16. Service Bell by Grizzly Bear
17. The Build-Up by Kings of Convenience Ft. Feist
18. Empire Ants by Gorillaz Ft. Little Dragon
19. Music and Liquor by Wax
20. Stutter by David Banner & 9th Wonder Ft. Anthony Hamilton
21. I Like It by Grand Puba
22. 2MPH by Dom Kennedy Ft. Big K.R.I.T.
23. Ice Cream Truck by Dom Kennedy
24. Palace by A$AP Rocky
25. In The Valley by Chief

Monday, February 27, 2012

Playlist #38


1. Rill Rill by Sleigh Bells
2. Plateau (Meat Puppets) by Nirvana
3. Oh Me (Meat Puppets) by Nirvana
4. Where Did You Sleep Last Night (Lead Belly) by Nirvana
5. What U C (Feat. Med & Jack Spade) by Blu & Madlib
6. Cut Up by Blu & Madlib
7. Perfect Disguise by Modest Mouse
8. The Good Times Are Killing Me by Modest Mouse
9. King Rat by Modest Mouse
10. Breakthrough by Modest Mouse
11. Autumn Beds by Modest Mouse
12. All Nite Diner by Modest Mouse
13. Novocain by Modest Mouse
14. Talking Shit About A Pretty Sunset by Modest Mouse
15. Valerie by Amy Winehouse

Monday, February 20, 2012

Playlist #37


1. Territorial Pissings by Nirvana
2. Come As You Are by Nirvana
3. Pennyroyal Tea by Nirvana
4. Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle by Nirvana
5. Polly by Nirvana
6. Death to Birth by Michael Pitt (Yes, Jimmy Darmody from Boardwalk.)
7. Femme Fatale by The Velvet Underground
8. Sunday Morning by The Velvet Underground
9. Venus in Furs by The Velvet Underground
10. Valerie by Amy Winehouse
11. It Could Be Sweet by Portishead
12. Strangers by Portishead
13. Mysterons by Portishead
14. The Woman With The Tattooed Hands by Atmosphere
15. Underground Kings by Drake

Monday, February 13, 2012

Playlist #36


1. Steppin' Into Tomorrow by Madlib
2. Montara by Madlib (2 favorite Madlib songs of all time. Wish I had a physical copy of Shades of Blue for him to sign when I saw him last year. Still need one...)
3. Holocene by Bon Iver
4. Rape Me by Nirvana
5. Levitate Me by the Pixies
6. Stars & Sons by Broken Social Scene (A top 5 BSS song in my book.)
7. Gamma Ray by Beck
8. Nightmares by The Clipse Ft. Bilal
9. X-Files by Del Tha Funkee Homosapien
10. Finale (Citizen Kane score) by Bernard Herrmann (Saw Citizen Kane in class. Such a good fucking score from a good fucking movie. The music at the end caught my ear; really sounded like something Madlib or Doom would sample. In the process of attempting to make a beat with it. This guy also scored Psycho, Vertigo, & Taxi Driver, just to name a few.)
11. Here for You by Eyedea
12. Even Shadows Have Shadows by Eyedea & Abilities
13. The Dive A by Eyedea & Abilities
14. The Dive B by Eyedea & Abilities
15. Glass by Eyedea & Abilities
16. Monster Inside by Anomaly Ft. Eyedea
17. Mysterons by Portishead
18. It Could Be Sweet by Portishead
19. Strangers by Portishead (Classics from a classic album. If nothing else, get a hold of Dummy, please.)
20. Serve the Servants by Nirvana

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Playlist #35


1. My Funny Valentine (Entire album) by Miles Davis (The only jazz that I've been familiar with came from Cowboy Bebop, by way of The Seatbelts. Oh, and of course, Hey Arnold!. I've always dug the ethereal yet grounded ambiance that jazz seems to give to any given situation, I mean, the free-form nature of it is really something to admire, but I've always been a bit intimidated to thoroughly delve into such a vast genre. Judging by the length of Davis' Wikipedia page and how often I hear other artists reference him, I feel as if he's a decent starting point.)
2. Kind of Blue (Entire album) by Miles Davis
3. Jeremy by Pearl Jam (In honor of Jeremy Lin's big game! Too lazy to check, but if I remember correctly, I might have this song in a playlist or two before.)
4. Montara by Bobby Hutcherson
5. Tropical Ice-Land by The Fiery Furnaces
6. Rub-Alcohol Blues by The Fiery Furnaces
7. The End is Near by The Fiery Furnaces
8. Cut the Cake by The Fiery Furnaces
9. Lost at Sea by The Fiery Furnaces
10. Turning Round by The Fiery Furnaces
11. Nude As The News by Cat Power (The latter riffs of "Tropical Ice-Land" sound very similar to this song...)

Monday, January 30, 2012

Playlist #34


1. What Goes On by The Velvet Underground
2. Survival of the Fittest by Mobb Deep
3. My Mistakes by Eleanor Friedberger
4. Heaven by Eleanor Friedberger
5. Scenes From Bensonhurst by Eleanor Friedberger
6. I Won't Fall Apart On You Tonight by Eleanor Friedberger
7. Atmosphere by Joy Division
8. Everybody Works So Hard by The Wake
9. Wurlitzer Jukebox by Young Marble Giants
10. Drown by The Smashing Pumpkins

Monday, January 23, 2012

Playlist #33


1. La La Love You by the Pixies
2. Gouge Away by the Pixies
3. Daytona 500 by Ghostface Killah Ft. Raekwon
4. Heart of the City by Jay-Z
5. Counting Stars by Nujabes
6. Devil in a New Dress by Kanye West Ft. Rick Ross
7. St. Vincent (I put nearly all of her songs onto my iPod, didn't really want to list 'em all. Wow, I really regret not having gotten into her any sooner, what an oversight. Better late than never though. Some awesome, multi-instrumental art rock shit. Sonic Youth if they went indie pop, Bjork with an electric guitar, a more abstract Devotchka with a female lead; beautiful woman with a beautiful voice.)
8. Black by Pearl Jam
9. Garden by Pearl Jam
10. Everything Man by Talib Kweli
11. Soon the New Day by Talib Kweli Ft. Norah Jones (Never got into her solo stuff, but the trend has been that I love anything she's featured in. Especially her appearances on Rome. Oh, and Madlib just kills this beat.)
12. Backwell by Beak> [Geoff Barrow's (Portishead) side project. The album is for the most part instrumental and is all over the place. There are hints of post-punk, industrial, post-rock and is reminiscent of Portishead and Radiohead. Consistently somber with unique sounds that give it life. All in all, really good stuff.]
13. I Know by BEAK>
14. Battery Point by BEAK>
15. The Cornubia by BEAK>
16. Dundry Hill by BEAK>
17. West Coast Calamities by Ariel Pink (Lo-fi, psychedelic, legitimately sounds like something from the 60's.)
18. Every Day I Die at Miyagi's by Ariel Pink
19. Alisa by Ariel Pink
20. Officer Officer by Anika (This singer got together with BEAK> to create this album, and that's what it essentially sounds like, BEAK> with a singer and with dub as a foundation. The singing is pretty androgynous, but it seems fitting. She's also signed to Stones Throw, which certainly deserves a thumbs up.)
21. No One's There by Anika
22. I Go To Sleep by Anika
23. Masters of War by Anika
24. Cold Outside by Raekwon Ft. Ghostface
25. Sonny's Missing by Raekwon
26. Jewelz by OC

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Playlist #32


1. Saucer-Like by Sonic Youth
2. Unwind by Sonic Youth
3. Little Trouble Girl by Sonic Youth
4. The Devil by PJ Harvey
5. When Under Ether by PJ Harvey
6. The Piano by PJ Harvey
7. Horses in my Dreams by PJ Harvey
8. We Float by PJ Harvey
9. The Letter by PJ Harvey
10. Slow Drug by PJ Harvey
11. Floating Vibes by Surfer Blood (An indie surf rock band, much like The Drums or like a better, more mellow Wavves.)
12. Harmonix by Surfer Blood
13. Anchorage by Surfer Blood
14. I'm Not Ready by Surfer Blood
15. Miranda by Surfer Blood
16. Best Night by The War on Drugs (Folky and shoegazy with an obvious Bob Dylan influence, especially in the singing. A mixture that really works.)
17. I Was There by The War on Drugs
18. It's Your Destiny by The War on Drugs
19. Metaphysical by Handsome Boy Modeling School
20. How High (Original) by Method Man and Redman (Easily an all time, top 5 hip hop song for me. Meth and Red's tag-team game is and will always be one of the greatest.)

Monday, January 9, 2012

Einstein

              Professor : You are a Christian, aren’t you, son ?
Student : Yes, sir.
Professor: So, you believe in GOD ?

Student : Absolutely, sir.

Professor : Is GOD good ?

Student : Sure.

Professor: Is GOD all powerful ?

Student : Yes.

Professor: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to GOD to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But GOD didn’t. How is this GOD good then? Hmm?

(Student was silent.)

Professor: You can’t answer, can you ? Let’s start again, young fella. Is GOD good?

Student : Yes.

Professor: Is satan good ?

Student : No.

Professor: Where does satan come from ?

Student : From … GOD …

Professor: That’s right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?

Student : Yes.

Professor: Evil is everywhere, isn’t it ? And GOD did make everything. Correct?

Student :Yes

Professor: So who created evil ?

(Student did not answer.)

Professor: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don’t they?

Student : Yes, sir.

Professor: So, who created them ?

(Student had no answer.)

Professor: Science says you have 5 Senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son, have you ever seen GOD?

Student : No, sir.

Professor: Tell us if you have ever heard your GOD?

Student : No , sir.

Professor: Have you ever felt your GOD, tasted your GOD, smell your GOD? Have you ever had any sensory perception of GOD for that matter?

Student : No, sir. I’m afraid I haven’t.

Professor: Yet you still believe in Him?

Student : Yes.

Professor : According to Empirical, Testable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says your GOD doesn’t exist. What do you say to that, son?

Student : Nothing. I only have my faith.

Professor: Yes, faith. And that is the problem Science has.

Student : Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Professor: Yes.

Student : And is there such a thing as cold?

Professor: Yes.

Student : No, sir. There isn’t.

(The lecture theatre became very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student : Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don’t have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can’t go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.

(There was pin-drop silence in the lecture theater.)

Student : What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?

Professor: Yes. What is night if there isn’t darkness?

Student : You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light. But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and its called darkness, isn’t it? In reality, darkness isn’t. If it is, were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn’t you?

Professor: So what is the point you are making, young man ?

Student : Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.

Professor: Flawed ? Can you explain how?

Student : Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good GOD and a bad GOD. You are viewing the concept of GOD as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, Science can’t even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing.

Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor, do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Professor: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student : Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shook his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument was going.)

Student : Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor. Are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?

(The class was in uproar.)

Student : Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor’s brain?

(The class broke out into laughter. )

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor’s brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established Rules of Empirical, Stable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room was silent. The Professor stared at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Professor: I guess you’ll have to take them on faith, son.

Student : That is it sir … Exactly ! The link between man & GOD is FAITH. That is all that keeps things alive and moving.

The student’s name – Albert Einstein.
I’ve been seeing this post flooding my Facebook feed as of late, and it elicits a sigh and a head shake from me every time. Not sure about its new found prevalence, because it's so outdated that I remember seeing MySpace bulletins about it. I’m usually good about not being the godless asshole that always looks for an argument with religious folk, but I had a few points of contention with this one. Firstly, evidence points to this little exchange to be fabricated; even though it “sounds smart”, don’t be so quick to share just because any credible argumental ammunition for your case is exceptionally sparse, at least a simple Google search should be in order. I mean, it’s pretty much propaganda as far as I’m concerned... And if that wasn’t enough, Einstein was a self-declared Agnostic, on several occasions. From a quick read-through, the hypothetical student’s argument had more holes than a Wiffle ball. What exactly is he arguing for anyway? How his argument of duality that was supposed to contend the professor’s claim of an evil God transitions into the “brain argument” which concludes in the student “proving” faith, is beyond me. Another classic case of changing the subject; though creative, if I may add. And that brain argument? What are we, in the fucking fourth grade? If you cut open the professor’s head, I guarantee you, there WILL be a physical, tangible, visible brain sitting there. Regardless of whether cold is not the opposite of heat, but the absence of which, does it really matter? And I apply this to a good God and a bad God, because bad is the absence of good, it suddenly justifies bad? And because He’s not finite, He’s just simply not allowed to be labeled without the labelers being “flawed? Oh, and his little quip about evolution, which almost rivals the “brain argument” in stupidity. Of course no one has seen evolution at work, because it’s a process of chance mutations, tedious adjustment and adaptation, that takes an inconceivable amount of time. Besides, from a logical standpoint, is evolution not a millionfold more sensical than anything in the Bible? Noah’s Ark? 600 year old man, big-ass boat, 8.7 million species, uhh, food chain? C’mon… Not trying to do away with anyone’s faith, keep your faith for it doesn’t bother me as something like gay marriage doesn’t (or rather, shouldn’t) bother you, but don’t use this contrived nonsense to do away with my lack thereof.


Sunday, January 8, 2012

Playlist #31

 
1. Teenage Riot by Sonic Youth
2. Extortion by Mobb Deep Ft. Method Man
3. Eye For A Eye by Mobb Deep Ft. Nas & Raekwon
4. Y by The Pharcyde
5. Otha Fish by The Pharcyde
6. Brag Swag by Elzhi
7. Elmatic (Entire mixtape) by Elzhi (One of the greatest technical lyricists out right now. This is his Illmatic tribute, where he raps to reworked instrumentals of each beat on the original album. As mentioned before, dude's flow is crazy; quick and multisyllable-laden, almost like a more well-enunciated Kool G. Rap.)
8. Feel It All Around by Washed Out [Heard about Washed Out on Pitchfork when Within and Without was getting all sorts of praise but initially overlooked it. Recently got into Portlandia, which uses this track as their theme song, and immediately got a hold of his other stuff. Whatever chillwave is, it seems to wholly exemplify his kind of music. Also ambient with a shred of hip hop; the transition of summer into winter (fuck autumn) in audible form.]
9. Within and Without (Entire album) by Washed Out
10. Something Came Over Me by Wild Flag

Monday, January 2, 2012

Playlist #30

 
Was yet another comparatively boring and mediocre year for my jaded, cynical, and unaccomplished self. But don’t pity me. I’ve had a year more privileged than 90% of the world, and I’m more than grateful for that. Don’t be a bullshitter, try to make good on your arbitrary resolutions, and let’s cherish this next one. Happy New Year. Now onto my playlist...

1. Cross Bones Style by Cat Power
2. Salty Dog by Cat Power
3. In This Hole by Cat Power
4. Novelty by Joy Division (Another JD favorite. This one's off of Warsaw.)
5. 5th Echelon by The Jet Age of Tomorrow (A sub-group of Odd Future. That distinct, synthy OF sound infused with a Kool Keith-esque spaciness and sort of the mellowness of golden age East coast hip hop.)
6. Thump Thump by The Jet Age of Tomorrow
7. LunchBox The Jet Age of Tomorrow Ft. Vince Staples & JQ
8. Welcome Home Son by The Jet Age of Tomorrow Ft. Casey Veggies & Tyler, The Creator (Similar to Veggies' "Ridin' Roun Town", but still nice.)
9. Poisenville Kids No Wins/Reprise (This Must Be Our Time) by EL-P Ft. Cat Power
10. The Diamond Sea by Sonic Youth (A Sonic Youth classic. I do opt for the 6 minute version though.)
11. Hey Joni by Sonic Youth
12. Silver Rocket by Sonic Youth
13. 'Cross The Breeze by Sonic Youth
14. Hoarfrost by Sonic Youth
15. Sunday by Sonic Youth
16. Sonic Nurse (Entire album) by Sonic Youth (Only main SY album that I never gave a legitimate listen; skimmed through it, preoccupied. Bought this shirt the other day, so I felt obligated to give it a full listen, and turns out that I like the whole album.)
17. Star Power (Acoustic) by Sonic Youth [I actually like this version better than the original. To me, this embodies the hypnotizing aspect of their down-tuned riffs, without any of their trademark distortion (which I dig, though). A bit similar to Thurston Moore's latest album, which is primarily acoustic, and more universally appealing, in my opinion. Check it out.]
18. Lifeboat by Lovage (Can never go wrong with Dan the Automator. Classic-ass album if I may say so.)
19. Fingerbib by Aphex Twin
20. Smoke a Sack by Three 6 Mafia (Wanted to make the list an even 20, so I pressed shuffle on my iTunes. Turns out I have 5 different Three 6 songs that start with the word "smoke".)