V for Vaccine

No but seriously, screw going on hiatus. This is my feeble attempt to get a post up amid the chaos that is school. Bear with me kids, I have a life you know (not a joke). A life filled with spaceships and gold toilets (maybe a joke). A life of girls falling over themselves just to catch a glimpse of me (definitely a joke). Back to the matter at hand. Things that are pressing on my mind at the moment.

*Saw VI. Seriously, any time a movie series is getting close to that point where I can't recognize the Roman numerals, I figure that's as good a time as any to go ahead and shut it down. I personally didn't even like Saw I that much, so you can imagine my surprise when I heard that they had made 5 more of those crap fests. The Godfather got 2 sequels, Citizen Kane got none, and somehow Saw gets 5+?

*Halloween. It's that time of year again. Hallow's Eve, when Satan shows his visage in the form of small children collecting candy and teens being douchebags. Sounds like a pretty normal day actually. I think I'm beyond trick or treating at this point, due to my age, slightly lowered voice, and patchy amounts of trashy facial hair. I might just gorge on candy. Or steak, because I can. I've never understood why people enjoy pranks so much at this time of year. Honestly, if someone eggs me, I'm gonna start busting heads. Anyone who thinks it's funny to either (a) egg people, (b) smash pumpkins/decorations, (c) ding dong ditch, or (d) leave crap on people's doorsteps is a grade A douche. If I see any of you folks doing that stuff, again, I'm gonna start busting heads. As for myself, I'll be spending the evening razzing about town dressed as anarchist anti-hero V, from V for Vendetta. Get pumped.

*Pizza. Just wanted to say I love you. It's in my greasy, Italian, red as marinara blood to love this stuff. And needless to say, I do.

*Volleyball. I'm so tired of having to defend the masculinity of this sport. It seems like everyone wants to try and give crap to me about playing, but I'm finally going to organize all of my thoughts on the subject here. If you want to contest the athleticism of the volleyball team, fine, but do not call the sport gay. Wrestling kids shower together, wear singlets, and the entire point of the sport is to rub up on a guy until you're on top of him and he has to surrender to your will. Football is played in spandex pants, every good deed is rewarded with a nice butt pat, and the purpose of the game is to do your best to once again, end up on top of another guy. As for another "manly" sport, lacrosse, isn't it obvious? The game is based on guys running around gripping shafts, and heads, and playing with balls. Leave volleyball alone. Oh and I'd like to point out that there is nothing wrong with homosexual, I'm just attacking the use of heterosexual norms and the double standard applied to volleyball.

That's all for now. I just decided that I had to unblock my writer's mind somehow. This short little thing was the best I could do. Peace in the Middle East friends.

Screw You Hiatus

Hello loyal readership (how many of you are there now? Like 2 if you count me?). I'm sure these last few weeks have been pretty rough without any new posts up on the blog. However, I'm here to give you some great news: New posts are on the way. I am committed to posting more frequently if possible, and if I can get my co-authors to get off their asses and write some stuff too, well, wouldn't that just be great?

Anyway, hopefully this is the dawn of a new era for us here at The Vaccine. If you do read this, please spread the word to your friends, our blog is great! I'm shooting for at least a post a week, and I don't plan on disappointing in that regard. So that's it, just thought I'd let everybody know that I haven't forgotten about you all. It's time to kick ass, and chew bubblegum, and needless to say, but I'm all out of bubblegum.

The Pinocchio Complex

I’m a real boy. Pinocchio pleas with Papa Gipetto to acknowledge him as more than just a wooden object. There is more to this than meets the eye. On the surface, we have a classic children’s tale about a wooden boy becoming human. Underneath that? Well to put it simply Pinocchio’s story can be viewed as a critique or metaphor of society’s forced norms, or of the otherization of those who don’t get in line. I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start slow.

Society is always sending mixed signals. You’ve probably seen ad campaigns, heard songs, or found some other type of media that tells you to express yourself. However whenever this is put into practice, don’t go looking for sympathy from the people and institutions that urged you to do what makes you happy. You will go wanting because our society is consistently hostile towards those who rock the boat. From the schools, to the streets, and all the way up to Washington D.C. The kid in high school who dresses strangely and does things that don’t fit in, well, to put it simply nobody is celebrating his/her eccentricities. The religious person who takes their opinion on God to the street, they are labeled a crazy zealot, or a “Jesus Freak”. In Washington, the politicians who break the mold (there are even fewer than you think) are not hailed for crafting their own view, they are rather put into a category all their own of radical ______ist. Ralph Nader and Dennis Kucinich are the best examples you’ll find. Ralph Nader is the only politician that hates corporations and still gets attention from the media. Kucinich has at times such off beat ideas as a Department of Peace. What a hippie! That’s what they shout on O’Reilly Factor. He probably smokes pot. That’s what they whisper in the senate chamber. It seems that the iconoclast is not as beloved as our society would like you to believe.

Back to Pinocchio for a second, I wonder why both the Disney version and the original story end with him becoming a “real” boy. Why is that viewed as the ultimate happy ending? What is so great about Pinocchio losing the thing that most defined him? Is homogenization a good thing? Gentrification? When we view these things in a vacuum we say that they are negative, but when we actually see them applied we view them as positive. From the moment he was born, not only did Pinocchio lie and claim to be real, he wished for it as well. The first part is what’s truly tragic about all of this. The other, in this case the wooden boy, immediately tries to shed his unique traits. Differences are not appreciated, they are apprehended. Outsiders are not welcomed they are warned. If you don’t see some part of yourself in the tale of Pinocchio then you are either a liar or you aren’t human. Think about any time you’ve acted against your true self for the sake of acceptance. Think about the time you wore something for the sake of fitting what others wanted from you. Starting to get the picture? We are all Pinocchio. In this example, there are no “real boys”. There is only society’s vision of what real is. Next to the quixotic figures who make up utopia, we are all wooden by comparison. The time has come to give up on the concept of real. It is time to embrace being wooden and imperfect.

Embracing our imperfections and idiosyncrasies is the only way to achieve happiness. Society will always have a view that excludes you in some way. Whether you are too tall, too fat, too skinny, too dumb, too smart, etc. There is no way to become real. We are left with two choices. Peel off all of our flawed wooden shell, and hope what lies underneath is real enough, or embrace the fact that we are not what society wants us to be, and work on improving what we’ve been given. The drive to become “real” enough is a drive towards death and self-hatred. Eventually this can be projected on others. Anyone who is even more wooden than you are can be blamed for your inability to reach perfection. Suddenly you’re now talking about turning the wooden people into kindling. During World War II more than 6 million people were deemed not real enough and were put to death across Europe. In China even more perished, their deaths justified in the same context. Why? What is it that allows entire nations of people to be swept up in a drive to perfection, or even some sort of confirmation or declaration of perfection? The leaders of these movements can be seen to have long wooden noses indeed if they truly believe that their goals were attainable. That is the sad truth of the matter, the people who value perfection the most are often the most imperfect. Last I checked, a perfect being would not seek to destroy life. And thus once again, even in Nazi Germany, we are shown the blonde blue eyed superman, the real titan who stands tall among the wooden masses. Where exactly were these Uber-real boys? Nowhere. They were nothing but drawings on posters. They do not exist. They cannot exist because perfection cannot exist. To say otherwise would be to lie, and as Pinocchio can teach us, the liars will be exposed one way or another.

I think that one problem that certainly plagues us in the modern age is the behavior of our leaders and the leading members of our society. Famous people are too concerned about sponsorships and profits to jeopardize those things with anything out of the ordinary. The best way to sum up this change? Think back to the 60s. John Lennon. Lennon says what he thinks. What he really thinks. It seems like such a novel idea today, that a celebrity would actually be willing to have a real opinion that they’ll share with everyone. Lennon was vocal on seemingly every major issue of the day. Today try and think of someone in a similar position who is nearly as willing to embrace their status as an outsider. Lennon realized he was wooden, realized that we were all wooden, and embraced it. In that way, he proved to be more real than anyone else. Who is the Lennon of today? There is none. It’s a sad truth, but everyone who has the platform to speak up, is too afraid to do so. For a myriad of reasons. Those who do, are mocked fairly openly. This has to change. It is time for everyone to accept that the standards of perfection are wrong. In my mind, imperfection is perfection. We must define for ourselves what being “real” is. Regardless of what Disney, and everyone says, I am content to remain a wooden boy. Refuse to become homogenized and gentrified.

Hello

To Whom It May Concern:

I am MacGuillicuttie, a new blogger on this blog. I hope to be an important, stimulating part of this organization as I plan to offer only the most intellectual of opinions on topics of my choosing. I have quite a bit to say. And Goodness Molly Gracious, I plan to say it (Yes, Goodness Gracious has a middle name and it is Molly). Anywhootersville. (An extended 'Anywho' for all who know not of my ways).

I Digress.

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this great machine that is The Vaccine Blog. I look forward to each and every post I make.

"Every man has a purpose--his life and his ways are set apart from any other man who dares challenge them--which will set him free if he strives to reach it in everything he does: if this man breathes his purpose, if he consumes it, sweats it, bleeds, lives and dies it, he will truly know freedom."
-M.L. Krenmauer, from "A Pistol to My Foot: Journals from the War in 1812"

With All Due Respect,
MacGuillicuttie

The Upside of Anger

Yeah so that's a movie title, but this isn't about that movie (which I've heard mixed reviews about), this is about me being pissed off. I haven't written anything angry in quite some time, so I figure I need to, so I don't lose my edge. Here is some shit (that's a pun, you'll see) that has been pissing me off of late. It's all camp related.

1. Jewish Shit. A Jewish kid shat on my bed. Pun: see above. That's right, an Israeli statist dumped on my bed just like Israel dumps on Palestinians. Let me set the scene. We're all chilling in my room. Somehow, this kid gets in. He always wears Israeli Defense Force shirts. In other words, he openly endorses genocide. Is it ok to wear Jonjaweed shirts? No. Anyway, we're sitting, and then it begins to smell terrible in my room. This kid has a goofy smile on his face and blurts out, "my bad guys I farted." Keep in mind he is lounging on my bed as this happens. Not but five seconds later he gets up and walks towards the door. Before he goes, he says, "I have to go to the bathroom really bad." Wow, thanks, you definitely just shit on my bed. I feel like this is the ultimate injustice. He came back 30 minutes later with different pants on, the smoking gun. Absolutely vile. I did not sleep well that nite. Keep in mind he still denies this, I'd like to know exactly how the timing could be that perfect. It couldn't, it's a logical impossiblity.

2. PDA. Not palm pilots or blackberrys. I'm talking public displays of affection. My case in point is a good friend of mine, Lee, and his girlfriend Alyssa. So I don't mind hand holding, hugging, or any of the standard fare, but christ I don't want to watch intercourse happen in front of me. Let alone the sort of BDSM shit that they're always up to. Lee is always pushing her up against walls. They're groping and fondling. It's weird. Not to mention the like just general weirdness that they engage in. Despite this, Aleesa still manage to be incredibly awkward about their relationship. Sometimes they'll be afraid to like hold hands, or touch shoulders. It's confusing to say the least. Over the past 6 weeks I've heard this whiny phrase way too often, "Buuuuut Leeeeeeeee you can't doooo that." Based on the rest of what I'm saying I'll let you fill in the blank of what the "that" could be. I don't wanna vomit all over my computer.

3. Quinn Zemel. Nobody knows this person, but I assure you, he sucks. Everything he says is whiny and annoying. He uses far too much hair gel, it's a fucking fire hazard. Not to mention the glare coming off his stupid head when he is walking around. Throw in the fact that he is dumb as a rock, a bitch to play basketball with, and just an overall bane of my existence. He is also overly sensitive about Jewish jokes. The good thing is, I outlined reasons why he sucks. He thinks they're super generic when they are really, super specific.

4. Potle. There is a certain person I know, who refuses to call Chipotle by it's real name. He blatantly mispronounces it and admits as much. My time in Michigan has been marred by the constant nagging of this person. Constantly, it never stops. "Harr Harr, Potle!" There is so much wrong with those 3 words I don't know where to begin, honestly. He also wears women jeans. I feel like it should be obvious that if I wanted to be called by an effeminate nickname I would introduce myself that way. I'm not a teddy bear, or a dog, I'm a person, and it's annoying as hell to get called that. Unless it was a girl calling me that, but it isn't, it's a guy. It just makes it fucked up. We're old enough to get called by actual given names. Second of all. Why Potle? That's not the name of the restaurant. He takes off the pronunciation of the e so it becomes potel, which is just fucking infuriating. It's really not difficult to say it right. I actually have stopped going there since he started calling it that. Sorry Chipotle, but you pay for the sins of this idiot.

Blogging for Freedom

Recent events have brought up an interesting discussion about the role of new forms of media and communication in civil activism. In Iran, with a government crackdown on protesters who don't think Mahmoud should be in office some of the most accurate news was coming via Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube. Protesters utilized social networking sites to organize protests and coordinate their activities. What does this mean for the future? Are oppressive regimes honestly going to be brought down because of these sites? No, well, not exactly. I think where this really comes into play is the radical youth. All 3 of those sites are obviously used by, and geared towards young people. When the internet reaches nations, young people are exposed to new ideas and viewpoints. This is very interesting.

When the Berlin wall fell, the main reason (besides David Hasselhoff) was the activities of young people in East Germany. Watch that video, who filled up the crowd of onlookers as the wall fell? It was mostly young people. In this past presidential election, young people were a key demographic. With that in mind, candidates increased online campaigning beyond usual levels. Obama, the winner, was one of the first people in a long time who got young people out and voting. He was also the candidate who best used social networking sites to his advantage. There was even a debate based on questions posted on Youtube. That's progress.

I think it would be the ultimate irony if these sites that were invented with no serious purpose helped to cause a regime change in a totalitarian state (fingers crossed for Israel). We are watching the dawning of a new age in politics and political activism. Is it a good thing? We'll see, but I'm of the opinion that anything that is more inclusive, anything that allows more access, especially to young people, is a very good thing.

Matt & Kim are Grand

A band I've been jamming to a lot lately is Matt and Kim. Matt and Kim are a band from NYC that play pop/dance music. It's all very keyboard driven, but the sound is pretty stripped down as it usually seems to be electric piano, drums, and vocals. They've been building a lot of support and hype lately, and one of their songs was actually featured in a Heineken commercial. Anyway, I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do.

Daylight

Good Ol' Fashioned Nightmare

Silver Tiles

Grind Time

One past time that I enjoy very much is watching a good MC battle. Well the best place to find them I think (assuming you don't go to these/are an MC) is an online show called Grind Time. It pits 2 MCs against one another with a panel of judges. They get 3 rounds to think of creative ways to break down their opponent.. No music, no beat, they have to stand on their own. It's spectacular. Like 8 Mile, but 1000 times more awesome. Props to Max Hantel for the find.

Aak vs. Cerebral

Sahtyre vs. Dirtbag Dan

BC vs. High Collide

Note: I've only watched the first one of these three, so I can't speak to the quality of the others.

Throwdown

Yesterday, Saturday, July 25, 2009, a day, that will live in infamy. Nick Miller, formerly of the Kinkaid School and Emory University called me out. He has thrown down a gauntlet that can not be rescinded. His exact quote, "Hantel your game is weak. Word on the street is that you haven't copped a fresh pair of kicks in quite a long time. Your game is weak."

Miller, I suggest you tread lightly, I'm coming for you. Don't try and step to me. You say my kick game is weak, but I have 10 pairs. Stick that in your moccasins. You say my game in general is weak, but next time you're in Houston, why don't you come on by, we'll see whose game is weak.

Miller Time, your time is up.

Art Fairs and Bullshit

A few notes to preface this:
1. I'm still in Ann Arbor.
2. There's an art fair in Ann Arbor.
3. I'm kind of a dick.

Ok, so for those who don't know, Ann Arbor, Michigan hosts an art fair every year, this is like the Mecca of people who suck. I have seen more colored skinny jeans in the past 2 days than I had seen in my whole life. I'm 90% sure that over half of these people either work at , or have worked at American Apparel or Urban Outfitters. However, there is also a weird paradox in that, besides weirdos there are also old people and families who think this is a good place for kids. There are a lot of reasons why that's not true. Namely there are a ton of hippies, meaning lots of weed. Also, half of the art is of naked men. Now that some of that background is complete, there are some anecdotes that I'd like to get to.

1. Diversi3. No that wasn't a typo. That was a sad reflection on how much my generation sucks. I'm walking on the sidewalk, minding my own business, when I come across 2 white ladies and a black guy. 1 of the white chicks has a cello, the other has a violin. The black guy is just kind of dancing around and yelling at all of us. "Diversi3! Diversi3 man! Come watch!" As I walk by, I take it upon myself to point out that, although Diversi3 rhymes with diversity, it doesn't really make sense. He is not happy about this. "Look man, you just don't get it. There's 3 of us." I didn't really take the time to answer him, but I'd like to point out, that 2 white people and a black person is not particularly diverse. Yes, he is correct, it is more diverse than say, a group of 3 white people, but there are a lot of races being left out here. What about Asians? Native Americans? Latinos? As I was walking away I could hear them breaking out into a terrible rendition of "Viva La Vida". Sorry black guy, but your band sucks. I've decided to start a counter band, Diversi4. It will be me and 3 other racially ambiguous dudes.

2. Creepy old people. Some friends and I were walking down the street, when suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, we were accosted by an old man. "Come have your photo taken!" Then 2 other middle aged women joined in. "Get your picture taken!" Everyone is excited but us. We decide it's best to walk over and just get the picture taken to defuse the situation. When we get over there, the old man proceeds to creep us the fuck out. "There's a curtain back there for you to take your clothes off! BAHAHAHAHA!" I'm not sure where the humor in child pornography is, but this guy apparently found it.

3. Religious people don't understand art. As I walked to Chipotle to eat a delicious burrito, I heard a grating terrible noise in the air. Christianity! Old men rocking chin strap goatees were in everyone's business. I tried to shout to them that it was a fucking art fair, but alas, it was to no avail. They were standing on stuff and screaming about Jesus and how great he was. They had signs that had entire paragraphs of bullshit on them. I'm still not sure what they were so riled up about. They weren't like protesting anything, they were just being really loud. Funny moment: A Middle-Eastern man happened to walk by right as one of the Christians was shouting about how much Muhammad sucks. The Middle-Eastern guy got right in his face and started cussing at him, he then flipped him off and walked away. Go Islam.

That's mostly what happened. And yet, I can't help but find myself slightly missing the art fair and all the weirdos it brought into my life.







Oh wait, nevermind I got that backwards, fuck the art fair.

The Vaccine Ain't Nothin' Ta Fuck With

The Wu Tang Clan are one of the most influential Hip Hop groups of the last 30 years. Their contributions both musically and stylistically cannot be ignored. Tiger Style. If you don't have any Wu Tang, then I pity you. Here is a gift.

C.R.E.A.M.

Wu Tang Clan Ain't Nothin' Ta Fuck With

Gravel Pit

The Heart Gently Weeps

Sneakerhead Vol. 2: Just Blaze

Less talk today. More kicks. I'm focusing on a type of shoe I don't have (yet) the Nike Blazer. Hopefully I will have one or both of these pairs of shoes pretty soon.


1. Nike Blazer High, Ice Blue/Old Royal
This is a fairly recent release from Nike. It comes from the SB division so it's very possible that there are specs that would interest people who skate, but I don't really care about that. I just think they look really good. Blue is my favorite color.



2. Nike Blazer High, Milk
These are fly. I'm just throwing that out there. They were made for a Japanese skating team. I don't know how I feel about the missing person drawing on the back, but besides that definitely want to get them. They're only about $70 too. Any time you can wear a shoe that is unique but it doesn't make you look like an ass you gotta do it. The color scheme is really nice. I guess I'm a sucker for blue.

Lupe Fiasco

In today’s hip hop/rap scene, artists are scorned for their incorrect grammar, vulgar language, and downright stupidity in the songs they make. Many people argue that all rappers make music with the same, recurring, never ending themes: sex, drugs, crime. Senior citizens argue that rap is complete trash, it’s destroying a generation, and does nothing more than promote bad habits. There have been many politicians who have argued that because of some songs, people have done bad things, like killing and raping people. With the way things are going now, the rap scene is heading downward. I wouldn’t be surprised if some politician came up with a way to directly blame rap for the death of somebody, charge the artist, and have the artist sent to jail. And I don’t blame the politicians. They do have a right in saying that rap influences teenagers badly, because it does.

But not all rap.

There are some, and I’m talking a small minority, who don’t make songs about guns, who don’t make songs about prostitutes, who don’t make songs about drugs. There are some rappers who put deeper meaning into their songs, and they sure are an endangered species. One of the endangered is Lupe Fiasco. He swears only when necessary, not for recreational purposes. He drops lyrical bombs that blow your mind away. His beats are catchy yet sophisticated. He’s not one of those “rappers” like Soulja Boy, whose main lines in his song range from “yah trick yahhh” to “youuuuu”. Rappers shove bad habits in the faces of teenagers, and we grab them. When we grab them, bad things happen. Sometimes even fatal things. Lupe’s not like that. He talks about real life problems, in real life situations. Lupe Fiasco is the only shimmer of hope in the rap scene. He defies the stereotypes set by previous artists, and shatters them into oblivion. In doing so, he is breaking barriers, and trying to bring back rap. Lupe Fiasco needs to become famous and listened to, so he can save rap, and save lives.

Most rap this day is plain old stupid. In 50 Cent’s song “Wanksta,” he says “we don’t go nowhere without toast (Cent).” What is that supposed to mean? In Soulja Boy’s “Yahhh,” the half of the song consists of “get out my face yahhh”. Is that really music? Lil Jon has made an entire album that literally consists of him screaming and yelling of the top of his lungs to get “crunk.” In Ludacris’s “Money Maker,” he makes direct references to prostitution: “shake, shake, shake your money maker, like you were shaking it for some paper (Ludacris).” How are young, low-income, teenage girls going to react when they hear their rappers, whom they idolize so much, say that they should prostitute themselves? At the least they’ll consider it, because that’s what the culture they live in tells them to do. This is what our generation is going to be labeled by. Envision a society, 10 years from now, where human beings talk civilized by constantly using bad language, where bad habits are promoted and agreed with in our culture, and where kids think that people killing people isn’t that big of a deal. Looking back on these years, historians will talk about the influence of rap and how it has nailed bad grammar, bad language, and in general stupidity into our culture.

Lupe is the complete opposite; his songs have a deeper meaning. “Streets On Fire” describes a disease of some sort: “the scientists says it only affects the mind / the little boy says it only affects the girls/the preacher man said it’s going to kill off the soul / a bum said it’s going to kill off the whole wide world (Lupe “Streets”).” No one really knows what he is talking about, be it AIDS or greed or corruption or whatever. He leaves that for the imagination. In “Put You On Game,” I personally believe that Lupe is personifying “The Game” as being the root of all evil: “I am the American dream/the rape of Africa / the undying machine / the overpriced medicine / the murderous regime / the tough guy’s front / and the one behind the scenes (Lupe “Put”).” “The Game” is a fictional character in Lupe’s newest album, The Cool. Now I won’t go into the details, because there’s simply too many, and the story is too intricate. Basically, he’s a poet. He can mix and match and make beautiful music with just his words. After listening to every recording Lupe Fiasco has ever made multiple times, I’ve discovered he can weave a song into a story like nobody else can.

So where does this all play into saving society? To put it simply, entertainment influences our actions, the way we look at things, and the way we talk. In Florida, a couple of days after an extremely popular video game “Grand Theft Auto 4” came out, Milton, a 9 year old boy, stole his mother’s car, and went on a joy ride, attracting dozens of cops. Why he did it: “I thought it would be fun…I wanted to do hoodrat stuff with my friend,” said the young boy (WPBF). When word spread out about the incident over the Internet, people started to verbally abuse and accuse the makers of the video game. Not so ironically, “Grand Theft Auto 4” is a game all about stealing cars. So why can’t the same thing happen with a rap? After all, almost all that rap does is advocate bad habits. The truth is, it can, it will, and it already has.

The hip-hop culture promotes bad habits in teenagers. From December 1996 to 1999, scientists screened African American girls in between the ages of 14-18. Participants were asked to estimate how much time they spent watching rap music videos per day, and per week. The more the participants watched music videos, the more they engaged in health-risking activities. 1 year later, of the participants tested, 37.6% acquired an STD, 4.8% hit a teacher, and 12.1% were arrested (Gina). In 2004, 5,292 young people were murdered, that’s an average of 15 children killed each day (“CHARACTER”). That’s a classroom full of kids.

Rappers like Lupe Fiasco are needed. Children are dying. Gang violence is promoted, as is prostitution. Why does rap have to focus on these things? Why can’t everyone be like Lupe Fiasco? He’s not mainstream. If Lupe wanted to appeal to the bigger audience he would have to rap about things that people wanted to hear about. Which is more exciting: a story about a drug deal gone bad filled with curses and gunshots or a story about the flaws of society? Most people would pick the first. Lupe describes it pretty well in “Dumb it Down:” “You'll sell more records if you dumb it down (Lupe “Dumb”). It’s sad: if you want to be famous, you have to destroy yourself, lower yourself, and change yourself to something that people will appeal to. Lupe doesn’t dumb it down. He revs it up. He is one of those gems in the hip hop/rap scene who is still pretty well known, but isn’t your normal rapper.

So when will all this violence stop, or at least slow down? Right now, it’s not on the right track. Child violence, gang violence, all types of violence are still rising. More kids are being drawn into the potty mouths of rappers, and they’re enjoying it. 50 Cent and Ludacris, arguably some of the most well-known and respected artists, exemplify what is wrong with rap, yet everyone buys their music. The only solution for kids to still listen to rap music, but not be drawn into the ever so tempting habits of their idolized rappers, is to listen to artists like Lupe Fiasco, who don’t advocate prostitution, who don’t advocate the use of alcohol and drugs, and who don’t advocate bad habits in general. If kids listen to Lupe Fiasco, rap itself will become better, and without those recurring themes less people will die. Simple. He is an amazing artist who doesn’t follow the rules. He raps whatever he raps. He doesn’t dumb it down. He revs it up. He puts that key in the ignition, and the control is his. All he has to do is drive.

Friday is for Phoenix

When the band Darlin' split in the early 90's something amazing happened. Not one, but two great bands were formed from the remnants. One of them is playing sold out stadiums wherever they go. Maybe you've heard of Daft Punk? Of course you have. Although, I doubt you've heard of the other band that formed from Darlin'. Phoenix. They have no affiliation to the city in Arizona as far as I know. I do know however that they are very good, and seem to rarely get their due. So here is my attempt to highlight a pretty good band that I feel is under appreciated. Oh and as a side note: this music is not like Daft Punk. It is not electronica. I'm not sure what I'd classify it as, besides good.

If I Ever Feel Better

Lisztomania

Long Distance Call

Year One and Other Movie Related Atrocities

Today, I saw "Year One". The so called stone age comedy starring Jack Black and Michael Cera. To say I watched this would be incorrect. I'd rather say that I was subject to it. I'm not going to write a review, but I'll say this: This was the worst movie I've ever seen. It's a rare thing if a comedy fails to make me laugh or smile a single damn time. It was predictable and stupid, and pretty much unbearable. I'm still not sure why I watched the whole thing. I give it 10 white dwarfs. The opposite of stars.

On a vaguely related note, I have been to the movies a lot the past few weeks, and it's given me a chance to really evaluate and observe the "cinema scene". I have come to a conclusion: Edwards 24 is a douche magnet. Here are some anecdotes to prove this.

1. A guy wearing pre-frayed cargo shorts, and a hollister polo, with aviators up on his forehead, walks into the lobby. The first thing he says, and he yells this, no joke, is this, "They have fucking Marble Slab here? Fuck yes! I didn't know that man." I'm surprised I could remember all this because when he said it, all I heard was him proclaiming his toolhood.

2. 5 guys wearing matching American Eagle gear are in line for concessions. 3 of them get their stuff and start to walk away. Suddenly, they turn around and start yelling back to their buddies. "Hey guys! We're gonna go find the theater. Jeremy says it's theater 3 but I don't think so. Meet us at the theater. I lost my ticket man. Alright Brad, hurry up."

3. This last one isn't about douchebags necessarily, but it's more just something that I find unbelievably annoying. I've been to 2 comedies the past few weeks. Year One (if that even counts as comedy. Eugh.) and The Hangover. Both times I experienced a frightful thing. A laugher. Now, everyone knows it's all well and good to laugh when you go to a comedy film. That's the point of going. However, if you have one of the most abrasive, loud, and grating laughs in the world, I'd really prefer if you skipped the comedy and went to a drama. Your presence in the theater is a negative for everyone. I wonder how you avoid hearing yourself. It takes one laugher to make a good movie, turn very bad. In short, no one wants you there, so don't show up.

That's pretty much it. I've taken an oath to myself, to take an hour to just people watch (read: douche watch) at Edwards. Based on my experiences so far, it won't take long to see someone who annoys the crap out of me.

Stick It In Your Ear: Su-Su-Sufjan edition

This isn't new stuff, but it is still good stuff. Sufjan Stevens is the best contemporary folk artist there is, at least in my opinion. Hopefully some of these tracks will pique your interest. Just press, download this file on the page that the link takes you to.

Chicago (Zshare)

All the Trees of the Field Will Clap Their Hands (Zshare)

This Band Is So Good, Not Alot Of People Have Heard Of Them.

You know what pisses me off? People who take music that everyone has and act like they discovered it. I'm not saying you can't offer me older music, I'm just saying don't act like you're the first person to find it. For instance, I feel like if someone asks me if I've heard of MGMT, I should have the right to punch them in the face. When everyone has heard of something, you assume they've heard it until they say otherwise. Then you can act all cool and ahead of the curve when you show it to them.

It's like, in caveman times, if someone was a few years late on finding the wheel, but then acted like he invented it. Nobody would be impressed. That guy would just get clubbed to death, am I right? I wish we could put all of the people who do this in some kind of camp, where they could concentrate on not doing it anymore.

Do You Mind?

When someone says "do you mind..." it confuses me. If a person says "do you mind giving me that" and I say no, they think that I do in fact mind and I will not give it to them, but the fact that I do not mind means I don't care that I am giving it to you, so I will in fact give it to you. But when I say "yes" to their question, they think I am giving it to them, when I don't want to.

A similar situation came up at a restaurant the other day. This was a place where, should I say, everyone excretes their whiteness. Some bitches asked me for a photograph, "could we bother you for a second?" Now, I said yes. But this was confusing. I said yes, you could bother me, meaning I am allowing you to take my time by making me take a picture of you. Had I said, no, you can't bother me, that would mean that I'm not allowing you to bother me so leave my premises.

Of course, these hags took offense. They thought that I purposely insulted a senior citizen. But no, the only senior citizen I insult is my mother. So, they were about to scurry away so I busted out: "Sit down bitch you move again I beat the shit out of you. Don't make me wake this baby (her daughter was pregnant), she don't know what I'm about to do, quit crying bitch don't make me fuck you"... And then they left.

So, yeah, some bitches confuse me and it needs to stop or else I'll fuck them til they love me.

Sneakerhead Vol. 1: A Brief Introduction

I am a sneakerhead. This is my collection as of now. 10 pairs, mostly Nike. As The Vaccine's resident sneakerhead, I've taken it upon myself to be the Moses of this flock of lost shoe-Jews. Hmm. That came out wrong. Anyway, here is Volume 1.

1. PF Flyers Bob Cousy
Are you tired of wearing Converse when everyone else is also? Yeah, me too. Converse lost their individuality at least 20 years ago. I love the shoe in spite of this. That's why I like this as an alternative.
2. Navajo New Balance
Those first shoes weren't all that crazy. I like to walk the line of eccentricity when it comes to shoes. With that in mind I give you the Navajo New Balance. These are flashy, but the color scheme isn't very out there. It creates a nice contrast. Maybe if I buy these it will ease my white guilt. Hey Native Americans, if I buy these, are we cool?

If You Like...

Nickelback, Creed, Autotune, Christian Rock, Christian Rap, Fergie, and/or Katy Perry.

Then I have an offer for you.

Things That Upset Me

You know what's awful? Rock covers of rap songs. My only thought is that they're still mad about Run DMC covering "Walk This Way."

Administer Your Soul

Administer your soul to the unforgiving power of the burning legions through which inertia coupled with the power of Exodus coincides with Lucifer Himself. He is a worthy one, for He knows what is right and wrong, and knows no boundaries.

My Friend

This is my friend, Jesus.

Mission Statement

A disease haunts our generation. It can’t be diagnosed or cured by a doctor. The disease is ignorance. Out of this contamination, has spawned a cure.

vaccine |vakˈsēn|
noun
a substance used to provide immunity against one or several diseases, prepared from the causative agent of a disease, : there was no vaccine against IGNORANCE…until now.

In closing:
"I felt Holyfield was using his head illegally. I told the referee I wasn't getting any help, so I went back to the streets. I cannot defend it, but it happened."

-Iron Mike Tyson