indistinguishable days

February may just be the dullest month of the year. Certainly it has some arguable highlights- the Super Bowl, Valentine's Day, and occasionally leap year. Yet, at this point every year people are getting sick of the snow and winter ('cept me) and look forward to spring. I never saw what was so great about spring; it's my least favorite season. Spring seems to only be a stepping stone to summer, it gives us a bit of hope that warmer weather and better days are on their way.

Maybe people like spring for this reason- that its the closest season to summer. But all I see is melting snow, and mucky rainy weather. However, I do look forward to a few things in spring and it is a necessary step to get to summer. First and foremost...it's the start of another baseball season. Most people yawn and could care less about baseball- but i LOVE it. I've been a fanatic since i was four....practicing, playing throughout the spring and summer, and watching through October. Everyone seems to be critical of baseball, but theres nothing like going to the park with your family or friends, grilling out, and enjoying the sights. It's so relaxing to come home from a long day of work and just sit down and watch the Crew...and this year looks to be the most promising since Yount retired and Moliter was traded. March madness and the bball tourney is also a plus, those first four days are crazy! And of course there's spring break; enjoyable whether you travel or just relax in your hometown.

Spring does shape up towards the end, when summer is practically here. School is coming to an end and a nice 3 month break lies ahead. There's also the NHL playoffs to look forward to. But the period from February to mid March just has nothing going for it. Its like a void between winter and spring where the days all feel the same. Not that that's a bad thing because there's still a lot of fun, but a change of scenery would be nice. So here's to counting down to spring break and summer!

The Numbing of the American Mind and indie

I thought the whole article by Zengotita consistantly presented interesting topics. The thing that struck me first was the vast vocabulary. The complex diction in the text made for slower reading, which sucks- but the points brought up definitely put your brain to work. Fabrication, Flood, Finitude, and Fast were all well supported and interesting in their own right...but the whole concept of Finitude seemed the weakest argument. When you think about the entire plethora of media stories and all the plots ever used in novels, movies and whatnot- the entire mass that just ran through your head seems finite and you can probably pick out a few repetitions and similarities. Theoretically there are only a set number of letters and notes that can be put in a set amount of orders, which means there is definitely an end to originality. However, our society is nowhere near to this end. People complain every year of the lack of originality in movies and music...but they're just not looking hard enough or thinking long enough. New bands and new movies are constantly coming out...and although they can be classified in certain genres, most of them are still different enough to be unique. All be it most of these new movies and bands are terrible and their moments in the spotlight are brief...but there are bands and flics every so often which are destined for fame. When you think of your favorite movies and groups...all of them are very distinguishable and are noted for their unique greatness. Music and movies have been produced for decades now, and more will continue to come. The future should not be looked on with bleak dismay though, there will be plenty of works which are unique, moving, and impact your life....you just have to be aware when they come by.

So if you got through all of that...I just wanted to mention one more thing about music. There is sooo much music out there that it's a crime to complain of the lack of new sound. If you feel stuck in a rut of repetition you need to turn off that radio and stop downloading the songs played on it. Go check out local bands, underground music, or check out the independent bands. There are so many independant bands, you're bound to find a sound you'll love. And if you love movies, but want something different- check out independent films or even better...foreign films. Foreign films may sound intimading and you often have to put up with subtitles; but the stories, acting, scenes, and cinematography are usually of the upmost quality- because they have to be since they lack Hollywood to promote their product. So go check out something new.