Earlier tonight, as I was sitting in the car, I started coming up with a very short story in my head, and I kept kind of repeating it so I wouldn't lose it. I think I did lose a bit, but here's what I managed to come up with. It's very short, very fictitious, and probably very unfinished. I apologize, Ralph, for using your name, but hey, when I think of texting at the wheel, I think of you.
Crash
So, that was how I died, speeding down the 145 in the Range Rover, blasting The Gaslight Anthem, my new phone clutched in my hand as I waited for an instant message. It’s sad to think that had Ralph not gotten that text, or if he’d gotten it about five seconds later, we’d have been alive. If his boyfriend could’ve held off just five more seconds, if he hadn’t felt that breaking up at that exact moment was absolutely urgent, Ralph would’ve seen the car coming at us, stopped or pulled over, and then we could’ve continued on our way once it had passed us or rammed into someone else. Of course, he shouldn’t have been texting at the wheel, but it was 2009; who didn’t? I guess that’s life, though; your friend’s boyfriend decides to send a text at the most inconvenient time, your friend decides to open it at an even more convenient time, and the next thing you know, you’re crushed between the dashboard and the passenger side door, reduced to nothing but a bloody corpse. As if that wasn’t enough, my new phone had flown through the windshield and into the road, where car after car proceeded to drive over it, immediately ruining the touch screen. I suppose it was a good thing I was already dead; my dad would have killed me.
Questions, comments, concerns?
SXR
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Something to think about...
In America, and likely many other industrialized nations, we are taught that buying free trade goods is the way to go. But what is free trade? Basically, free trade is defined as "international trade not restrained by government interference or regulation, such as duties." What this means is that an American corporation can freely stop producing a good in the United States and shift production to a developing country where labor is cheap, thereby resulting in a cheaper good, which means more consumption. Cheaper products are always good, as far as we consumers are concerned, but we must remember that they are cheaper for a reason.
American-made goods are often more expensive than those produced in countries like China and Honduras. This is because of the labor conditions and standards we have set in our own country to ensure the fair and equal treatment of workers. Essentially, the higher price of the good ensures that all workers are paid at least the minimum wage and work in an environment deemed safe and acceptable here in the U.S. When production of a good is outsourced, there is a higher supply of labor that will demand less pay, making production cheaper and fair treatment of workers unimportant.
Outsourcing also hurts the U.S. economy by taking jobs from citizens who need them. The number of blue collar manufacturing jobs in the United States has decreased as more and more factory jobs are sent overseas. In today's poor economic climate, we need these jobs. In Madera, CA, the unemployment rate for November 2009 was about 15%, and in Fresno, 16.5%. The state of California had an unemployment rate of about 12.3% in November, (all of this according to centralvalleybusinesstimes.com), making it the state with the third highest unemployment rate, falling only behind Rhode Island and Michigan, which has been greatly affected by the downfall of the auto industry, as it was home to most of the United States' auto manufacturing jobs. By bringing manufacturing jobs back to the United States, it is entirely likely that while the price of goods would likely go up, unemployment rates would drop considerably, so more and more people would be able to afford the new American-made goods. We rely too heavily on other countries for goods and services that we could be producing ourselves, and by doing so, we bring ourselves down economically.
Nike, undoubtedly one of the most well-known brands in America, has been outsourcing most of its labor for decades. The company has been known for violating minimum wage laws, using child labor, and disempowering women. Despite all of this, the company continues to make millions of dollars, little of which will ever make it to the women and children working in their factories. If that isn't enough to make Nike look bad, their legal record should be; they've been taken to court by Apple and fought with Ian Mackaye, along with a number of other groups and activists.
While it would be illogical to expect any American to rely strictly on fair trade goods, it would be nice to see some of the effects of globalization begin to diminish. Easy access to global events is fantastic, but abusing workers in third-world countries for a cheaper shoe is nothing to praise.
SXR
American-made goods are often more expensive than those produced in countries like China and Honduras. This is because of the labor conditions and standards we have set in our own country to ensure the fair and equal treatment of workers. Essentially, the higher price of the good ensures that all workers are paid at least the minimum wage and work in an environment deemed safe and acceptable here in the U.S. When production of a good is outsourced, there is a higher supply of labor that will demand less pay, making production cheaper and fair treatment of workers unimportant.
Outsourcing also hurts the U.S. economy by taking jobs from citizens who need them. The number of blue collar manufacturing jobs in the United States has decreased as more and more factory jobs are sent overseas. In today's poor economic climate, we need these jobs. In Madera, CA, the unemployment rate for November 2009 was about 15%, and in Fresno, 16.5%. The state of California had an unemployment rate of about 12.3% in November, (all of this according to centralvalleybusinesstimes.com), making it the state with the third highest unemployment rate, falling only behind Rhode Island and Michigan, which has been greatly affected by the downfall of the auto industry, as it was home to most of the United States' auto manufacturing jobs. By bringing manufacturing jobs back to the United States, it is entirely likely that while the price of goods would likely go up, unemployment rates would drop considerably, so more and more people would be able to afford the new American-made goods. We rely too heavily on other countries for goods and services that we could be producing ourselves, and by doing so, we bring ourselves down economically.
Nike, undoubtedly one of the most well-known brands in America, has been outsourcing most of its labor for decades. The company has been known for violating minimum wage laws, using child labor, and disempowering women. Despite all of this, the company continues to make millions of dollars, little of which will ever make it to the women and children working in their factories. If that isn't enough to make Nike look bad, their legal record should be; they've been taken to court by Apple and fought with Ian Mackaye, along with a number of other groups and activists.
While it would be illogical to expect any American to rely strictly on fair trade goods, it would be nice to see some of the effects of globalization begin to diminish. Easy access to global events is fantastic, but abusing workers in third-world countries for a cheaper shoe is nothing to praise.
SXR
Monday, December 21, 2009
Golden Years
Music is always one of the easiest things I can remember or call back, and there are certain songs that I'll always have a definite connection to. There are some I can connect to a certain location, an emotion, an event, and even certain weather. Since this is basically becoming a video blog, I've decided to post some songs that I can connect to relatively fresh memories and attempt to explain the feelings they bring about.
At this point in my life, this song is one of the most memorable. I immediately associate it with late nights in the Range Rover, driving through Fresno or wherever else we happened to be, likely sipping Dr. Pepper or full from some amazing vegetarian-friendly dinner. I think about the glow of my Sidekick in my hand, as well as that of Ralph's as he sat in the front seat, controlling the music while Josh drove. I think of the wind blowing back at me through the halfway rolled down front windows, and even the smell of cigarette smoke, which was sort of an on and off thing, depening on whether or not Ralph was still into smoking. It reminds me of heading home at three or four in the morning, eyes tired from seeing a late movie and acid reflux no doubt kicking in. This song reminds me of a lot of things, and I'm sure it'll be one that always brings me back to the good old days.
Fuck Youtube for disabling the embed feature on the actual video heh. This song... Oh, lord, this song heh. I believe it was the day before we left Scotland when Jon played this on the bus, several times I believe, and we all had the most epic sing-along as we drove back from the Queensferry bridge and ended up stuck in traffic for ages. I can remember exactly what the road looked like, and that drive seemed to take forever. This was after we'd eaten pizza by the bridge, watching the sun begin to set and trying to ignore the Scottish douchebags in shitty cars as they verbally harassed a couple of the girls. This song is almost enough to make me cry. There's just something about Scotland that does that to a person.
Yet another sing-along song from Scotland. I'll be honest, this one does make me cry from time to time heh. We first sang it at the ceilidh, then again on the bus, and christ, it was absolutely heart-wrenching to think we were leaving.
This one reminds me of my first trip to England. I do believe I had it on repeat as we got off the bus in Calais and boarded the ferry to Dover. It was raining, and although it wasn't a Sunday (as far as I can recall), this song felt perfect. I remember approaching the famed white cliffs of Dover, as well as an incident on the ferry involving a certain roommate's valium heh. Good times.
That'll do for now. Expect another installment sometime in the future.
SXR
At this point in my life, this song is one of the most memorable. I immediately associate it with late nights in the Range Rover, driving through Fresno or wherever else we happened to be, likely sipping Dr. Pepper or full from some amazing vegetarian-friendly dinner. I think about the glow of my Sidekick in my hand, as well as that of Ralph's as he sat in the front seat, controlling the music while Josh drove. I think of the wind blowing back at me through the halfway rolled down front windows, and even the smell of cigarette smoke, which was sort of an on and off thing, depening on whether or not Ralph was still into smoking. It reminds me of heading home at three or four in the morning, eyes tired from seeing a late movie and acid reflux no doubt kicking in. This song reminds me of a lot of things, and I'm sure it'll be one that always brings me back to the good old days.
Fuck Youtube for disabling the embed feature on the actual video heh. This song... Oh, lord, this song heh. I believe it was the day before we left Scotland when Jon played this on the bus, several times I believe, and we all had the most epic sing-along as we drove back from the Queensferry bridge and ended up stuck in traffic for ages. I can remember exactly what the road looked like, and that drive seemed to take forever. This was after we'd eaten pizza by the bridge, watching the sun begin to set and trying to ignore the Scottish douchebags in shitty cars as they verbally harassed a couple of the girls. This song is almost enough to make me cry. There's just something about Scotland that does that to a person.
Yet another sing-along song from Scotland. I'll be honest, this one does make me cry from time to time heh. We first sang it at the ceilidh, then again on the bus, and christ, it was absolutely heart-wrenching to think we were leaving.
This one reminds me of my first trip to England. I do believe I had it on repeat as we got off the bus in Calais and boarded the ferry to Dover. It was raining, and although it wasn't a Sunday (as far as I can recall), this song felt perfect. I remember approaching the famed white cliffs of Dover, as well as an incident on the ferry involving a certain roommate's valium heh. Good times.
That'll do for now. Expect another installment sometime in the future.
SXR
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Fresno Fest '09
Just for the sake of having something to do, I thought I'd post some videos from Fresno Fest '09. Good times were had.
(This was how I mutilated my pinky nail.)
See what you missed out on? Shame on you. Say what you will about Fresno, but it's got one of the liveliest scenes I've ever come across. True, a lot of kids don't go out to shows very often anymore, especially just to see local bands, but those that do are passionate about seeing local DIY music and organizations thrive, and that's something to be rewarded.
SXR
(This was how I mutilated my pinky nail.)
See what you missed out on? Shame on you. Say what you will about Fresno, but it's got one of the liveliest scenes I've ever come across. True, a lot of kids don't go out to shows very often anymore, especially just to see local bands, but those that do are passionate about seeing local DIY music and organizations thrive, and that's something to be rewarded.
SXR
Good Times
Fresno Fest was an absolute blast. Jeremy did a fantastic job putting it together and managing an event that took place in two different venues. I somehow managed to break my pinky nail almost right away, so now it's got blood underneath it and it's kind of messed up, but it's all good. I was already sore from working at the food bank on Friday, but now I'm even more sore. It's kind of good, though, to feel like I've been doing something.
I think that since I'll have time over the break, I'll do a sort of step-by-step picture blog of my screen-printing process. I know my prints aren't amazing, but maybe when people see what I'm working with, they'll understand why heh. At the very least, I should get some real mesh and stop working with curtains, but I have to do some shopping and find good prices first. I'll get better in time, especially once I can invest in some better materials.
On that note (sort of), I'm extremely proud of Fresno's DIY scene, especially because of the number of girls who participate in it. Since I started going to CYC, I've seen more girls involved in shows than I ever have before, and more and more of us are trying to start businesses or play in bands, which is great. The scene has always been dominated by males, and although I don't have a problem with that, necessarily, I think it's important that more women get involved and try to make it on their own. I just wish Madera had something like Fresno does. We have no venues, few bands, and few kids who can get leave a party long enough to realize that there's more to life than meat, drugs, and whatever religion their parents have forced them into. The world is an amazing place full of different ideas, and few of them have ever tried to explore it.
Now to plan a trip to Oakland on New Years Day...
SXR
I think that since I'll have time over the break, I'll do a sort of step-by-step picture blog of my screen-printing process. I know my prints aren't amazing, but maybe when people see what I'm working with, they'll understand why heh. At the very least, I should get some real mesh and stop working with curtains, but I have to do some shopping and find good prices first. I'll get better in time, especially once I can invest in some better materials.
On that note (sort of), I'm extremely proud of Fresno's DIY scene, especially because of the number of girls who participate in it. Since I started going to CYC, I've seen more girls involved in shows than I ever have before, and more and more of us are trying to start businesses or play in bands, which is great. The scene has always been dominated by males, and although I don't have a problem with that, necessarily, I think it's important that more women get involved and try to make it on their own. I just wish Madera had something like Fresno does. We have no venues, few bands, and few kids who can get leave a party long enough to realize that there's more to life than meat, drugs, and whatever religion their parents have forced them into. The world is an amazing place full of different ideas, and few of them have ever tried to explore it.
Now to plan a trip to Oakland on New Years Day...
SXR
Saturday, December 19, 2009
FRESNO FEST
Today, I'll be at the sixth annual Fresno Fest, handing out 3SN buttons and probably being socially-awkward. It's what I do. Expect some sort of Fresno Fest recap at some point in the somewhat-near future.
SXR
Monday, December 7, 2009
Current Favorites for December
In an attempt to write something fairly interesting that doesn't sound hella thought-out or pretentious, I decided I'd post a few of my current favorite songs and bands, and just plug a few locals. (As if anyone on the internet cares. Then again, I tweet all the time, so whether or not people care is clearly of no consequence to me.)
Yeasayer's new single "Ambling Alp."
This is the first time I'm seeing the video, but it's pretty interesting. Certain aspects of it remind me of Gareth Pugh (strangely), The Mighty Boosh, and, for some reason, I want to say TV On The Radio. Sadly enough, I first heard the song at Urban Outfitters a while back.
Good Riddance's "Think of Me."
The fact that these videos aren't the same size is pissing me off. I would have posted a live version of this song, but unfortunately, none of the live videos are very good. I'm absolutely infatuated with Good Riddance lately, but this is definitely one of my favorite tracks.
Wolves and Thieves
Too fucking great. I love watching these guys whenever I can. Pick up their new self-titled album or snag a copy of their split with Bastards of Young!
Hudson Criminal
Another size, another great band.
The Martyrs' "Stay True Bobby."
These guys recently relocated to Hollywood, but they're originally from Fresno, and I've seen them play a great show more times than I can count. Nice guys, good musicians, et cetera.
I'm too lazy to look up anything else, as my wifi keeps coming and going, so I'm done for now. I'll have more useless favorites at a later date.
Yeasayer's new single "Ambling Alp."
This is the first time I'm seeing the video, but it's pretty interesting. Certain aspects of it remind me of Gareth Pugh (strangely), The Mighty Boosh, and, for some reason, I want to say TV On The Radio. Sadly enough, I first heard the song at Urban Outfitters a while back.
Good Riddance's "Think of Me."
The fact that these videos aren't the same size is pissing me off. I would have posted a live version of this song, but unfortunately, none of the live videos are very good. I'm absolutely infatuated with Good Riddance lately, but this is definitely one of my favorite tracks.
Wolves and Thieves
Too fucking great. I love watching these guys whenever I can. Pick up their new self-titled album or snag a copy of their split with Bastards of Young!
Hudson Criminal
Another size, another great band.
The Martyrs' "Stay True Bobby."
These guys recently relocated to Hollywood, but they're originally from Fresno, and I've seen them play a great show more times than I can count. Nice guys, good musicians, et cetera.
I'm too lazy to look up anything else, as my wifi keeps coming and going, so I'm done for now. I'll have more useless favorites at a later date.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Embrace today.
Early this morning, Madera South lost one of its first valedictorians. I was never close with Landon Guglielmana, but I was around him a lot, seeing as I was a dancer and he was a football player. When we did "The Wizard of Oz" last year, he was part of the ensemble whenever he could be, and I remember seeing him every morning in Academic A, smiling and wearing his letterman jacket. When I found out about his accident this morning, I was shocked; a lot of us were. The entire school just seemed different. Half the students, mostly underclassmen, didn't know him, but everyone who did was in complete shock. I still am; how could a kid who was voted "Most Likely to Succeed" just suddenly die at eighteen? He was a Christian, an amazing athlete, a fantastic student, and an all-around great guy...
The more I think about the situation, the more it gets to me. I'm having a bit of an existential crisis tonight. They always say the good die young, but it hits you even harder when it's someone you knew. If it could happen to Landon, what about me? There's always a chance that someday in the near future, I could fall asleep at the wheel, too, or someone could hit me, and I'd be dead on impact, just like him, and it terrifies me. Life is incredibly short and incredibly fickle. I know that, but I really only think about it once and a while. I say this all the time, but after today, I really mean it: I'm going to do everything I can to live every day as if it might be my last. I'm done with regrets, I'm done with wishing for more, I'm done with thinking about the past. Whatever happens after tonight, tomorrow, high school, et cetera, I'm going to embrace it and make the best of it. If I never hear from most of my current friends again, I'll just have to be okay with that and move on. If life throws me a curve ball, I'll have to just accept it and make it work. As much as it sucks sometimes, life is precious, and I refuse to waste it, because I have no idea how much time I've got left, and before I die, I want to accomplish everything I can.
All I need to do now is remember to embrace this attitude for the rest of my life. It always seems to come and go, but I can't let that happen anymore. From now on, I'm going to live, really live, until I die, and that's that.
Rest in peace, Landon. I hope you realize just how much you've done for all of us.
SXR
The more I think about the situation, the more it gets to me. I'm having a bit of an existential crisis tonight. They always say the good die young, but it hits you even harder when it's someone you knew. If it could happen to Landon, what about me? There's always a chance that someday in the near future, I could fall asleep at the wheel, too, or someone could hit me, and I'd be dead on impact, just like him, and it terrifies me. Life is incredibly short and incredibly fickle. I know that, but I really only think about it once and a while. I say this all the time, but after today, I really mean it: I'm going to do everything I can to live every day as if it might be my last. I'm done with regrets, I'm done with wishing for more, I'm done with thinking about the past. Whatever happens after tonight, tomorrow, high school, et cetera, I'm going to embrace it and make the best of it. If I never hear from most of my current friends again, I'll just have to be okay with that and move on. If life throws me a curve ball, I'll have to just accept it and make it work. As much as it sucks sometimes, life is precious, and I refuse to waste it, because I have no idea how much time I've got left, and before I die, I want to accomplish everything I can.
All I need to do now is remember to embrace this attitude for the rest of my life. It always seems to come and go, but I can't let that happen anymore. From now on, I'm going to live, really live, until I die, and that's that.
Rest in peace, Landon. I hope you realize just how much you've done for all of us.
SXR
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
You Need to Know
First off, I'd like to say that anyone who happens to be reading this should purchase a 3SN "Sink With California" tee from me so I can afford to go to college. None of your friends will have one, so you'll seem much more in-the-know. To get one, go to http://3sn.bigcartel.com or http://www.myspace.com/threesecondsnoticeowns. I'd be happy to take your money.
Secondly, I forgot what I had to say, but I believe it had something to do with bands you should check out. Assuming that was what I was, indeed, going to talk about, here are some links to some great bands.
Hallowed Ground- Hardcore/punk from El Paso, Texas and now East Bay, California. These guys are amazing. End of story.
Hudson Criminal- More East Bay hardcore/punk. Ex-members of Scattered Fall.
Wolves and Thieves- Even more East Bay hardcore/punk. Ex-members of Dispute.
SXR
Secondly, I forgot what I had to say, but I believe it had something to do with bands you should check out. Assuming that was what I was, indeed, going to talk about, here are some links to some great bands.
Hallowed Ground- Hardcore/punk from El Paso, Texas and now East Bay, California. These guys are amazing. End of story.
Hudson Criminal- More East Bay hardcore/punk. Ex-members of Scattered Fall.
Wolves and Thieves- Even more East Bay hardcore/punk. Ex-members of Dispute.
SXR
Monday, November 9, 2009
J'ai besoin de plus d'argent.
These are hard economic times, as we all know, and I happen to live in a city where a high school senior has almost no way of getting a job unless they happen to know someone, (and I don't), so if I want to go to college, (and I do), I need to find some sort of creative way to make money. My business has been a dismal failure, so I'm moving on to other aspects of fashion for now heh.
Would anyone happen to need a creative director, wardrobe stylist, et cetera?
SXR
Would anyone happen to need a creative director, wardrobe stylist, et cetera?
SXR
Sunday, October 25, 2009
How Not to Get into College.
Step 1: Use a really shitty wifi router.
I'm having an extremely hard time filling out all of my applications, what with my lack of reliable internet. There are so many various, seedy networks in my neighborhood that no matter what I do, I can't stay on my own. It doesn't help that the new router is a piece of shit, but whatever. C'est la vie.
The more I think about it, the more I want to just give up on Berkeley and move to Brooklyn. The Bay Area feels like home to me, but I'm starting to think that in order to really be happy and be my own person without having to deal with anyone else's influence, Oakland may not be far enough from San Francisco or even Madera. Maybe I need to just get the hell out of California altogether, despite the fact that it's been my home all my life. Of course, I'd move back after college, but I think it might be good to get away for a few years. Even if I don't get into Pratt, there are plenty of other schools. Then again, there's the question of whether I'm making this decision based on actually wanting to live over there or just on a desire to get away from people and things that are bringing me down (and believe me, there are plenty of them). Either way, I suppose it's a valid concern.
Reasons to move to New York:
I'm having an extremely hard time filling out all of my applications, what with my lack of reliable internet. There are so many various, seedy networks in my neighborhood that no matter what I do, I can't stay on my own. It doesn't help that the new router is a piece of shit, but whatever. C'est la vie.
The more I think about it, the more I want to just give up on Berkeley and move to Brooklyn. The Bay Area feels like home to me, but I'm starting to think that in order to really be happy and be my own person without having to deal with anyone else's influence, Oakland may not be far enough from San Francisco or even Madera. Maybe I need to just get the hell out of California altogether, despite the fact that it's been my home all my life. Of course, I'd move back after college, but I think it might be good to get away for a few years. Even if I don't get into Pratt, there are plenty of other schools. Then again, there's the question of whether I'm making this decision based on actually wanting to live over there or just on a desire to get away from people and things that are bringing me down (and believe me, there are plenty of them). Either way, I suppose it's a valid concern.
Reasons to move to New York:
- Pratt Institute
- Blake Schwarzenbach and his various musical endeavors
- New people
- Tons of things to do
- No need to drive
- Closer to England
- No need to deal with Maderans
- More vegan options
- More record enthusiasts
- Different weather
Before I go, I'd like to wish Morrissey a speedy, successful recovery. My thoughts are with you, dear Sir.
SXR
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Elliott Smith and the Pains of Being Young.
Today marks the sixth anniversary of the death of (absolutely amazing) singer/songwriter, Elliott Smith. If you're unfamiliar with his music, familiarize yourself now; while he didn't have the best singing voice, Elliott certainly did have a voice in that he could write a song, sing it like a guy who'd never learned a thing about singing in his life, and still make an impact.
In other news, applying to colleges is a pain in the ass, being criticized for doing things differently is a major confidence-breaker, and hating your body is perfectly normal as a teenager, but annoying nonetheless.
SXR
In other news, applying to colleges is a pain in the ass, being criticized for doing things differently is a major confidence-breaker, and hating your body is perfectly normal as a teenager, but annoying nonetheless.
SXR
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Fashion: Rants and Raves for October
Ah, fashion. Some people love it, some people hate it, but those who hate it generally just hate what the mainstream would call "fashion" but enjoy it in their own sense of the word and mock those who have different taste. No matter which way you look at it, I think it's easy to say that fashion plays a very important role in society. Of course, this is all thanks to advertising, the media, tradition, et cetera, but try as we might, we can't escape these things; we can avoid them all we want, but we will always inadvertantly revert back to them one way or another; that's just how we, as humans, are.
So, we've established that fashion is rather important, and we're all aware that it's constantly changing (sometimes for the better, sometimes... well, some things are best left on the runway or the rack), so I've decided to discuss this season's trends and spotlight a few things I'm interested in at the moment, fashion-wise.
Without listing the season's trends, I'll simply make a general statement about them: the look for this season is (to put it broadly) a variation on the goth look. Which goth look exactly? Perhaps all of them? If not, there's certainly a wide range of subcultures being represented. For example:
So, we've established that fashion is rather important, and we're all aware that it's constantly changing (sometimes for the better, sometimes... well, some things are best left on the runway or the rack), so I've decided to discuss this season's trends and spotlight a few things I'm interested in at the moment, fashion-wise.
Without listing the season's trends, I'll simply make a general statement about them: the look for this season is (to put it broadly) a variation on the goth look. Which goth look exactly? Perhaps all of them? If not, there's certainly a wide range of subcultures being represented. For example:
- Deathrock: black leather, boots, ripped stockings, sheer clothing (mostly tops), and ripped pants.
- Victorian: It's more of a Regency style (close enough, right?), but the "Female Dandy" look is in; jackets, trousers, dress shirts, high collars, et cetera. Think Oscar Wilde meets Ben Sherman meets Chanel.
- Other goth trends: military jackets, capelets and cloaks, batwing sleeves, dark makeup, oversized sweaters, et cetera.
Who's responsible for all of this? I don't claim to be a fashion expert, but it does intrigue me, especially the darker, more avant garde side of fashion, so I have been keeping up with this season's trends a bit more lately. Several brands and designers are putting these trends on the runways and on the shelves, including:
- MAC- MAC recently released a collection called "Style Black," which includes nail polishes, lipsticks, lip glosses, et cetera all in black or black with different colors (fuschia, blue, and silver). I have the black glimmerglass (or whatever they like to call it), and although it isn't totally opaque, it's nice; it gives a nice shine and a subtle grey tint.
- Gareth Pugh- Enough said. Everything he does every season is amazing, and it almost always revolves around leather, jackets, flowing coats, military style, et cetera.
- Balmain- Brought to the mainstream by Rhianna, Balmain often uses leather and lots of interesting angles (although not as epic as the ones Pugh uses). Balmain often uses military-style jackets, which can be used when going for the Female Dandy look, as well.
Forgive me if I seem slightly scattered heh. I've had too much on my mind to write a fully-coherent blog about something I could cover in-depth.
SXR
Sunday, September 20, 2009
The Curious Incident of the Teenaged Girl Who Was Finally Assigned Another Book She Enjoys
Up until middle school, I was an avid reader. In fact, my mother would often come into my room late at night and tell me to stop reading and go to bed. Once I hit seventh grade, though, all of that changed thanks to a little thing called Accelerated Reading. Thanks to "AR," reading became nothing more than a task, something I had to do for a grade. It wasn't fun anymore, and I couldn't just read whatever I wanted; I had a 12.9 reading level and wasn't allowed to choose books that were below a 7 or 8, and those were harder to find in the school library than you'd think. (It was comprised largely of picture books.) So, I was left to read books that generally only mildly interested me, and I only read those so I could pass the AR tests we were forced to take for an English grade. The whole system totally destroyed my interest in reading, and it wasn't until high school that I had even a remote interest in it again.
We read some good books in Mr. Klassen's class, although I never quite fell in love with any of them. I do have him to thank, though, for my ability and desire to look deeper within a text and find hidden meanings and subtexts, which likely led to my high AP Language test score. In sophomore year, I was, once again, forced to read books I didn't want to read. Mr. Hardcastle (or as the girls this year call him, "Hotcastle," for some reason) assigned us a different novel every month, and after our three or four weeks of reading were up, we were to write an essay or report on the novel. I, of course, had trouble with this, and, needless to say, I ended up with a terrible grade. However, the last book I read that year was Albert Camus' The Stranger, and it was the first book I'd read that year (excluding the one he'd assigned for the summer, All Quiet on the Western Front) that I actually finished. I suppose it's a good thing, too, because instead of writing a report, we had to talk to him one-on-one about the books we'd read, and if I hadn't read it, I'd have been (for lack of a better word) screwed. For some reason, that was the first book I'd read in a long time that could actually hook me. You'd think it might be the association with The Cure's "Killing an Arab," but surprisingly, it took me a while to figure that one out. I've come to think that maybe, despite the fact that Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray is my favorite book of all time, I enjoy very blunt, thoughtful books with an emphasis on human thoughts and emotions. I guess that could also explain why I like The Picture of Dorian Gray so much, too, but I digress.
I've read plenty of books since then, but none of them have been able to really hold my interest-- until now. This year, one of the first books I was assigned was Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and as soon as I opened it, I was intrigued. I've never read a book that was so clearly well thought-out and carefully-written, and never before has a book inspired me so much to want to write one of my own (which has been a dream of mine ever since I was six or so). It feels good to want to read again! Of course, I've been trained never to read without annotating, so I always read with a pen in hand, but it really is good to finally be interested in an actual book again. As I said, I can only assume that the reason I enjoy this book so much is that it's rather blunt and focuses more on the human thought process and emotions than on flowery language. It's funny, though; in my own writing, I prefer to use more figurative language, and I prefer to write from a third person point-of-view, whereas both of these books are written in first person.
My point? I don't know that I really have one. All I know is that to force a student to read a book he or she has no interest in, and to make them do it solely for a grade and not for their own enjoyment, does more harm than good. For years, I was unable to enjoy something I was once so passionate about, and now, I've finally found another book I'm excited to read, and I hope this isn't the last time it happens.
We read some good books in Mr. Klassen's class, although I never quite fell in love with any of them. I do have him to thank, though, for my ability and desire to look deeper within a text and find hidden meanings and subtexts, which likely led to my high AP Language test score. In sophomore year, I was, once again, forced to read books I didn't want to read. Mr. Hardcastle (or as the girls this year call him, "Hotcastle," for some reason) assigned us a different novel every month, and after our three or four weeks of reading were up, we were to write an essay or report on the novel. I, of course, had trouble with this, and, needless to say, I ended up with a terrible grade. However, the last book I read that year was Albert Camus' The Stranger, and it was the first book I'd read that year (excluding the one he'd assigned for the summer, All Quiet on the Western Front) that I actually finished. I suppose it's a good thing, too, because instead of writing a report, we had to talk to him one-on-one about the books we'd read, and if I hadn't read it, I'd have been (for lack of a better word) screwed. For some reason, that was the first book I'd read in a long time that could actually hook me. You'd think it might be the association with The Cure's "Killing an Arab," but surprisingly, it took me a while to figure that one out. I've come to think that maybe, despite the fact that Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray is my favorite book of all time, I enjoy very blunt, thoughtful books with an emphasis on human thoughts and emotions. I guess that could also explain why I like The Picture of Dorian Gray so much, too, but I digress.
I've read plenty of books since then, but none of them have been able to really hold my interest-- until now. This year, one of the first books I was assigned was Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and as soon as I opened it, I was intrigued. I've never read a book that was so clearly well thought-out and carefully-written, and never before has a book inspired me so much to want to write one of my own (which has been a dream of mine ever since I was six or so). It feels good to want to read again! Of course, I've been trained never to read without annotating, so I always read with a pen in hand, but it really is good to finally be interested in an actual book again. As I said, I can only assume that the reason I enjoy this book so much is that it's rather blunt and focuses more on the human thought process and emotions than on flowery language. It's funny, though; in my own writing, I prefer to use more figurative language, and I prefer to write from a third person point-of-view, whereas both of these books are written in first person.
My point? I don't know that I really have one. All I know is that to force a student to read a book he or she has no interest in, and to make them do it solely for a grade and not for their own enjoyment, does more harm than good. For years, I was unable to enjoy something I was once so passionate about, and now, I've finally found another book I'm excited to read, and I hope this isn't the last time it happens.
New Blog. Again.
Ah, yes, my third Blogspot account. The last one was 3snempire.blogspot.com, and I may keep it as a 3SN-only thing and use this as a personal blog or something. Hell if I know. It's still up for now, and if you're interested in reading my review on KROQ's Epicenter Festival, check out my old blog.
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