Who Knows Why?

Who knows why things happen the way they do? Who knows why we experience life the way we do? Who knows why we see certain things and not others, why we feel certain things at certain times and nothing at others?

People say things all the time when things that affect them happen - "Because of (blank), I will no longer do (blank)" or "After seeing that, I will no longer do this", etc. The problem with these statements is that life goes on, we revert back to our normal habits, and until we are reminded of the event again, we haven't changed a thing.

Well, sign me up for that list after what I saw today, the first one and hopefully not the second one. As many of you may have seen on my Facebook today, I was on the scene of an accident today in which a young lady out for a morning jog downtown was struck by a vehicle while crossing a street. She was probably no more than 50 yards in front of me when this happened and had been standing right next to me at the previous stoplight.

I did what any normal person who saw this happen would do and, along with about 10 other people, called 911, calmly explained what I had just seen happen and requested assistance and stayed on the line until help arrived. I was asked by the operator to see if there were any noticeable injuries and to check and see if she was awake so I had to actually walk over and look in this poor girls face. She was awake, crying and breathing hard, no external injuries present. As I found out after, one of the gentlemen that had stopped to help was Austin City Council member Mike Martinez, who is a former fire fighter.

The person that had hit her pulled over immediately and was still there when I wandered off towards my appointment. I wish I had done more to see if they were alright too, but I didn't.

I will never forget the sound that was made when that car struck that young lady, nor will I forget the look in her eyes as she looked up at me. She was terrified and in shock and I can't say that the look I gave her back was any different.

Who knows who was at fault, really? From what I remember, she was crossing at a don't walk and the car had the green but from info I gathered from others on that street corner, the car was behind a bus and apparently got tired of waiting for them to load and pulled out from behind the bus and accelerated to make it through the intersection. She never saw them coming.

As a runner, this terrified me to no end. I have crossed so many streets, earbuds blaring, having scanned the intersection a few strides out to make sure I was safe moving forward, just like she did. It's not like I have survivors guilt and wonder why this happened to her and not me or anything like that. It's just scary because I can admit to having been less than cautious from time-to-time, more worried about my pace as opposed to my safety. Side note: she is apparently doing well, no life-threatening injuries, etc which is great news.

As a driver, and in my opinion a pretty safe one, I can guarantee that I have allowed a deadline or timeframe affect how I acted behind the wheel. I have sped up to make intersections, I have cursed those cautiously moving through the streets, I have texted while driving or been more worried about the perfect song playing, I have been that asshole, and I'm not too proud to admit it.

After getting my last DWI, I told plenty of people that I would gladly accept all three of my DWIs so that no one else I knew had to experience that 'pain'. I wanted to let others learn from my mistakes and that's why I have let my struggles be widely known and have attempted transparency with anyone who has asked me about my situation. I feel as if I know enough people that I can help keep others out of jail.

Anyway, I use that metaphor to illustrate my point for today. I plan to learn from what I witnessed today. A lot of times, people like to close their eyes in the face of things that scare them or when things make them uncomfortable and as much as seeing this today kind of ruined my day, if I learn something from it and can change the way I live because of it, then I will accept it. How, you ask, do I plan on changing my day-to-day operations based on an accident and nothing more? Glad you asked!

When running, I will:

• Obey any and all don't walk signs, even if there are no cars in sight
• Never have my music up so loud to where I have drowned out everything around me.
• Attempt to run in areas designated for running only, like the multiple trails provided in town. I understand the fun of going on a city run, but is the risk worth the scenery?
• Always wear my RoadID in case something like this were to happen to me. 
• May even start running with my phone, although that may take an act of Congress.

When driving, I will:

• Be mindful of all intersections, especially in areas populated with many pedestrians
• Be courteous to other drivers and make a concerted effort to maintain calm behind the wheel, especially when up against a deadline. If that means leaving my house 15 minutes early, so be it.
• No longer look at my phone behind the wheel of a car, not for music, not for a text message.

What I saw was nothing more than an accident and I will pray for the young lady who was struck as well as the person who was driving the car. I wouldn't have wanted to be either and am not sure how I'd be dealing with things had I been behind the wheel of that car. I feel blessed that she wasn't seriously physically injured, or worse, and I'm sure many others feel the same.

RIP TEX

Yesterday was a tough day for many members of the University of Texas community as Bill Livingston passed away at the age of 93. Mr. Livingston - I can't bring myself to call him Bill as if I knew him - spent over 58 years at UT and has a laundry list of accomplishments that he could have hung hit hat on.

A short list of Mr. Livingston's accomplishments:

• Earned a Bronze Star and Purple Heart during the Battle of the Bulge in WW2
• Came to UT- Austin in 1949 as a Government professor
• Held many roles on campus, including but not limited to:
• Chair of the Government Department
• Vice-Chancellor of academic programs
• Vice President and Dean of Graduate Studies
• Led the committee and planned the development of the LBJ School of Public Affairs
• Served as acting president in 1992
• And, lastly, how I remember him, was the voice of TEX

For anyone enrolled at UT in the 1990s, you remember all too well the phone calls to the Texas Enrollment Exchange; TEX for short. You knew when your call-in window was and had mapped out perfectly how your upcoming semester would play out; no school on Fridays and no classes before noon! Nailed it. 

Unique numbers would all be jotted down in one place so you could access them quickly enough to make it happen and get in before everyone else beat you to it. The problem is, and was, that you weren't always so lucky. That's where Bill Livingston's voice would come into play. He was TEX, and his dulcet tones would guide you through the process.

You see, before the internet took over the world and you could register for classes online, you either had to go to a mass registration center and sign up for classes or, when the technology became available, you could dial-in, using a touchtone phone and make your selections. It was the most nerve-wracking experience one could fathom at 19 years old and probably sleep deprived and potentially half-drunk.

After each selection you punched in, TEX would let you know how successful you were. I can't remember exactly how it went, but it was something along the lines of, "The class you have selected, #####, has(30 second pause - not really, but still) (NOT) been successfully added." Those were your two options, success or failure. 

The other fun part was the time constraint on each call. When asked for your next selection or to try again, you had to be ready or else you would get disconnected, all previous progress would be lost and you would be in full-on scramble mode, feverishly trying to reconnect at the same time that thousands of other students were also jamming up the lines. You had to have all back-up plans and follow-up scenarios played out just in case you failed at your first - or second, third, fourth - attempt. It was frantic flipping through the course guide and trying to think on the fly what your advisor had told you that you needed to take.

The most fun part of the call came at the end, whether you were enthused or dejected, TEX always left you with a hearty, "Goodbye, and Good Luck." Even though it was recorded, you felt as if he meant it. (To listen, click the link on the words, I couldn't get the video to load and play here)

I was on the cusp of never knowing TEX. When I started college, many services weren't available online, including class registration. I think it was somewhere around my third year that Eric figured out we could register online, heard my phone call frustration from the next room and told me to try online. I did, found it to be easier and never called TEX again. They retired TEX in 2005, but I bet many after 2001 hardly knew him.

Lifetime Longhorn Richard Hogeda, who happens to be a lifelong friend, former student of my mom, and current mentor to me on my journey through school had a great idea yesterday that Mr Livingston's familiar phrase should be played at every commencement from here to eternity and I couldn't agree more. I plan on seeing if this movement has already been started and, if not, I plan on starting it myself.

Mr Livingston is survived by his wife of 70 years, two sons and daughter-in-laws, two grandsons and four great-grandchildren.

Goodbye and Good Luck, Mr. Livingston, "Til Gabriel blows his horn!"

The Civil War between The Polyphonic Spree and Robin Thicke

Welcome back to The Subculture. Since it's Tuesday, it can only mean one thing: music. I will continue to give this little disclaimer when I do music or movie posts for the time-being:

"I fully agree that I know very little about music technically. I'm not going to break down rhythm sections or melodies. I am simply going to tell you all about the music I am listening to and whether or not I think it would be worth your time and effort to listen as well. If I buy a new album or recent release, that will get reviewed first. If I have nothing new to listen to, I will pick a few random selections to go over. As always, I am also open to suggestions on tunage so if you're listening to something groovy, share the love. I wanna be cool and in the loop too!"

So, this week, as promised, I am going to review the most recent efforts from three groups/artists - The Polyphonic Spree, Robin Thicke and The Civil Wars(does the title make sense now?).

Let me start with the album I was most excited to listen to of the three; The Polyphonic Spree's 4th full-length studio album Yes, It's True. I have followed this Dallas-based band for almost a decade at this point and they have grown and evolved quite nicely over time. For those of you unaware, the Polyphonic Spree is the brainchild of Tripping Daisy frontman Tim Delaughter and is comprised of as few as 15 members and as many as 26. Their original sound was very majestic and airy and has progressively gotten more and more, well, badass. It took me a few listens to this album to appreciate the new direction the band has taken, but I truly did enjoy this album. Yes, I'm biased and it would have had to be complete garbage for me to dislike it, but it's worth a listen to those of you out there looking for something different to try on. The sound of each tune is different which allows each song to kind of stand on its own, all while being a part of that whole. Favorite tracks: You're Golden, What Would You Do?, and Popular By Design. I won't lie, I didn't find any that I would say stay away from.

Next up: The Civil Wars self-titled sophomore album. This will be the easiest review I will probably ever write. This duo is rock solid and if you liked the first album, you'll like this one. They don't skip a beat and continue to make music that would sound at home with the bootleggers in Kentucky and Tennessee during prohibition. This album does seem to carry a little heavier note in it from time to time as they seem to have stolen some guitars from the Black Keys. It all works and is great, and soothing and would work well with a cup of coffee in the morning or a glass of whiskey in the evening. Like the last album i reviewed, all of the songs are worth rolling through at least once, but Sacred Heart is just plain beautiful, complete with very simple banjo picking, impeccable harmonies and done completely in French. I wish I knew what was being discussed in this song, but you could tell me the worst news possible and if you did so in French, it wouldn't sound as bad. Also, they cover Smashing Pumpkins mega-hit Disarm and it's mind-blowing.

I know what you're starting to think, "Does this clown think anything sucks?!" Well, I won't go that far, mainly so I won't make every woman reading this hate me, but the newest release from Robin Thicke, Blurred Lines, is pretty brutal. In short, Thicke plays the part of a poor-man's Justin Timberlake with less soul on this album. Many of the songs are very thin and childish, Feel Good and Go Stupid 4 U, come to mind. There are also super cheesy love songs, which I do actually enjoy, but they don't fit in the scheme of the album. Summer smash hit and title-track Blurred Lines is far-and-away the best track on the album and there are a few others that are in the same vein that will probably be heard in clubs before too long; namely Put Your Lovin On Me and the Give It 2 U remix feat. Kendrick Lamar and 2 Chainz. If he had made the whole album as edgy as the last three songs I mentioned, he would be onto something.

Check 'em out and let me know if you agree or not. I would love opinions, it's the only way I'll get better.

For the playlist today, it's pretty straightforward. I like songs this week that tell stories so there will be no need to explain any of them to you as they will weave their own tales.




There are so many more songs that tell stories, but these are a few of my favorites. What are some of yours?

Also, as always, here are some links to some of the music discussed today:

Polyphonic Spree's We Crawl off of 2007's The Fragile Army

and their cover of Nirvana's Lithium off their EP Wait

The Civil Wars with Disarm

And Robin Thicke with Blurred Lines

Things we could learn from Freddie Joe Steinmark

School ends this week and we had a fun project to do for our final paper. We had to read a sports based non-fiction novel and connect the ideas in the book to something that interests us in the sports world. The paper is to be written in a blog style so I figured, "Perfect, I can double up and write the paper and use it as a blog post as well." So, here we go:

____________________

Every autumn in Texas, residents from all over the state stop what they are doing, fire up grills, ice down refreshments and put on their team colors in order to flock to the sanctuaries of the south, better known as football stadiums. Every Friday through Sunday – and even some Thursdays and Mondays, too – from Labor Day to New Year’s Day, the masses gather to show support for their heroes of the gridiron. We puff out our chests and revel in the victories. We become sullen and agonize over defeats.  It’s the same for fans of every team; regardless what colors they wear or what hand gesture accompanies the alma mater or fight song.

Football is a way of life for many and it isn’t just happening on the weekends anymore. The continuing rise of technologies along with the explosion of social media, fantasy football and dedication of sports networks like ESPN and the NFL Network have made football a 24/7/365 proposition for anyone who cares to continuously and instantly be involved with the goings-on of their favorite teams or players. Potentially millions of would-be coaches and football experts just waiting for the stars to align so that they can get their shot at glory fill the stands of thousands of stadiums across the state, from El Paso to Texarkana, looking to impart their wisdom on anyone within earshot. It’s not uncommon to hear sentences that begin, “I saw/heard this week that…” and finish with a random stat, juicy tidbit on the star quarterback, or just something interesting or unusual that had been discussed on radio stations, team message boards, TV, or anywhere else one can find it.

More than 60% of American adults own smartphones, close to double that of just a few years ago. What does that mean? It means being constantly connected to the people, things, and even teams you are most fervent about. It means never having to guess the answer to a trivia question posed on a jumbotron during a TV timeout because you essentially have a miniature computer in your pocket that contains all of the answers. It allows anyone with the time and ability to wade through the minutiae to appear to be the smartest person in the room.

While new technologies and sources for news have arisen over the past few years, many of them sometimes seem to do more harm than good. Teams have been forced to impose rules on their players about what kinds of pictures and other content can be displayed on their Facebook pages or Instagram accounts and even monitor Twitter accounts of the players to make sure they are representing their school or team in a proper fashion. The main downfall, in my opinion, of this immense flood of information is that so many wonderful stories and tales have gone by the wayside.  The reason we know of such things as Paul Revere’s midnight ride, or the Battle of the Alamo isn’t because Davy Crockett got out his iPhone and snapped a photo of Santa Anna riding in and “tagged” William Travis and James Bowie. We know of these things because these stories were chronicled, either through first-hand accounts written by those there, or through the tales being passed through the generations.

Sports stories, tall tales and legacies are no different. Ever heard the one about Babe Ruth calling his shot and hitting a home run during the World Series in Chicago? Even with multiple videoed angles of this famed play, we still don’t know if he was pointing to the centerfield stands, the pitcher Charlie Root, or the players on the Cubs bench. He did hit a home run, though, and the tale was born of the baseball player so talented, he could choose what he was going to do at the plate before the pitch was even thrown. How about the fact that Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team?  This one is true adjacent. Yes, the future “Greatest Player to Ever Tie His Shoes” was cut as a sophomore… from the varsity team at his high school. He was, however, still allowed to play basketball for the junior varsity team and was a star at that level before growing four inches over the summer between 10^th and 11^th grades and then going on to dominate the Tar Heel State and then the NBA.

Sports have provided us with many metaphors for life, as far back as recorded word can recount. The tales of gladiators overcoming the challenges in the Colesseum provided hope to the downtrodden members of early Roman society. The tales of ex-slave Tom Molineaux and his rise to fame and glory by beating English boxing champion Tom Cribb can be used to show that anyone can overcome their inherent circumstances with the proper amount of hard work and perseverance. The lists go on-and-on with inspirational tales of men and women overcoming the trials and tribulations that stood before them and conquering their oppressors, whatever they may be. Movies have been made, both out of true stories like Raging Bull and Brian’s Song and out of the minds of the creative people in Hollywood like the Rocky franchise or The Natural. Heroes have been made out of sports stars because of the legendary things they have accomplished, both on and off the field.

Never, though, has there ever been a tale to rival that of Freddie Steinmark, as told in Jim Dent’s novel Courage Above the Game. It’s the tale of a smaller than average football player from a small town with a heart of gold, a love for God and family, and an incredible desire to achieve greatness in his favorite sport, football. Passed over by his favorite school, Notre Dame, because of his lack of size, he follows his superstar teammate from the mountains of Colorado to the Forty Acres of The University of Texas at Austin where he meets a legendary coach who appreciates his diminutive stature because it is reminiscent of the coach in his playing days. He has had a few constants in his life: the same girlfriend he had in the eighth grade along with her less-than-approving mother; his own family, including a hard-as-nails dad living vicariously through his son’s athletic exploits. He arrives on campus and immediately starts turning heads on the field with his fearless play. As a sophomore, he becomes one of only a handful of players to ever start as a sophomore under Coach Darrell Royal when he assumes the role of starting safety at a slight 5’9” and 155 pounds. He proceeds to lead the Southwest Conference in interceptions and singlehandedly seals a few Longhorn victories along the way in the 1968 season, thus helping the Horns enjoy nine wins, one loss and one tie and including a Cotton Bowl victory over Tennessee. During his junior season, despite enduring lingering and constant pain in his left leg, he never lets on how much pain he is in and is a main cog on a national championship-winning defense. Only after the successful season does he learn that he has bone cancer that has ravaged the lower part of his left femur and that his leg may need to be removed if the tumor is malignant. It is and doctors remove the leg a mere six days after he plays his last down of football. He vows to watch his teammates take on his former favorite school Notre Dame from the sideline in the Cotton Bowl to solidify their national championship, and does so. He also vows to everyone that he will use his new prosthetic leg to walk across the stage and receive his letter jacket from Coach Royal at the post-season football banquet, which he does a mere two weeks after first putting it on. Not a dry eye is left in the house as the young man with the winning smile inches his way slowly toward his stoic coach, standing at the podium and fighting back the emotions. Then comes the rebellion and frustration over the new circumstances. Steinmark breaks up with his lifelong girlfriend, Linda, two days before Valentine’s Day and begins to date around, attend parties, drink beer and even grows his hair long. His rebellion is short-lived, as is his remission. He reconciles with Linda; proposes to her; and on their planned wedding date, he begins to slip in-and-out of a coma from which he will never fully recover and after 22 years, five months and nine days of life on this earth, Freddie’s journey was complete. As Dent recalls in the Author’s Notes section of his book, “Not a single solitary sole” said anything bad about Freddie Joe Steinmark as he researched this topic. Spanky Stephens, former team trainer said, “Freddie gave us a roadmap for life”; Coach Royal stated, “Boy, he was a fighter, and he fought until the end.” Every quote that appears in the book from former teammates, coaches and friends explain exactly how revered this young man was across the board.

The book itself is entertaining with a straightforward presentation filled with a lot of fun facts and wonderful recollections of those who were there with Freddie and knew him best. Dent does a fantastic job of transporting the reader to a time not that long ago that seems ages away all at the same time. The story goes that many players didn’t know Freddie was even sick before they found out he had had his leg amputated. It was a very different era than the constant news cycle that we live in today, and Dent does a masterful job of taking the reader there. He didn’t take the easy way out and write a story solely about the months surrounding Freddie’s diagnosis and subsequent death a year and a half later. Instead, he told the story of Freddie’s life and how larger-than-life he was in his hometown of Wheat Ridge, CO, and how inspirational he was to his team, both then and now.

Current Texas football coach Mack Brown provided the foreword for Dent’s novel and has made sure that Freddie’s legacy lives on within the program. “First, we wanted the players to understand the pride and tradition of those who had come before,” Brown says in the intro. “We arranged the plaques of all All-Americans and academic All-Americans in the hallway leading to the field.” After Coach Brown learned that the scoreboard had been dedicated to Freddie’s memory, he felt as if it were time to tell the current players Freddie’s story. He told them the same courageous story Jim Dent lays out for us in Courage Beyond the Game. To make sure the current players recognized Freddie’s courage, Brown had Freddie’s picture installed at the end of the same hallway and the players are instructed to touch with their horns up on their way down the tunnel. Brown states that, “Armed with the pride of the All-Americans, and in honor of the courage of Freddie, we ask them to go out and play as hard as they can.” Brown even takes a smaller version of the picture on the road with the team.

Many times in death, we have bright and shiny memories of those who have left us and tend to forget those times that they let us down, and this book doesn’t falter as it is chalk-full of those types of memories - the good ones that could warm even the most frigid soul. Admittedly, the book is a bit redundant; reading the same saintly story with a different name after the quotation mark, but that appeared to be Dent’s purpose in telling this story and he did so with a bevy of tales and quotes from those closest to the situation.

Stories like Freddie’s usually make front page news and are carried down from generation to generation for anyone that’s willing to listen. The desire to win, the love of the game and the willingness to sacrifice one’s own body for their team; these are the themes behind any great story about sports. Freddie’s story was big news as it happened, but as time has passed, it seems to get forgotten in the pantheon of legends of sports.

Seven Saturdays a year, the Longhorn faithful gather in the stadium named after that “little” coach that recruited Freddie to come from Colorado to Texas. Seven Saturdays a year, the stands are filled with people who travel from all over the state to watch their burnt orange-clad heroes take the field and carry the tradition of Texas football. Seven Saturdays a year, those same people could tell you what high school all 125 athletes on the sidelines attended as they stand there and watch the largest video board ever placed in a college stadium flash images of Texas football history. There are still shots of the first team from 1893, indelible images of legendary games gone by like the “Big Shootout” between Arkansas and Texas featuring James Street throwing the ball to Randy Peschel and the latter making a once-in-a-lifetime catch or Vince Young scrambling to the end zone to beat USC in the 2005 Rose Bowl. On-and-on these images roll of Longhorn greats Ricky Williams and Earl Campbell and so many others, all greeted with raucous applause. One image stands out to me, though, because it is met with indifference. The image is that of Freddie Steinmark, the young man who put everything he had in playing football for the University of Texas. It baffles me mainly because so many of these people have the tools to figure out who that strange man is, with the computers in their pockets and a world of information at their fingertips, but choose not to. My mother and I wait seven Saturdays every fall with baited breath for the picture of Freddie to appear on the screen so we may pay our due respects to the young man from Colorado with the winning smile.

I, too, was like so many Longhorn fans. I grew up not knowing who Freddie Steinmark was. That was until my mom asked me one day if I knew his story. Upon saying no, she appeared with Freddie’s autobiography, I Play to Win, co-authored by legendary sportswriter Blackie Sherrod.  I read it cover-to-cover in the matter of a week and as I did, I cried and wondered how this story wasn’t commonplace around UT. Since then, I have told whoever is willing to listen about the courage of Freddie Joe Steinmark. I personally hope that one day he is revered and lionized in UT football lore the same way Layne, Nobis, Street, Campbell, Williams, Young and McCoy are. With books like Dent’s, actions like Coach Brown’s, and with a supposed movie in the works, maybe Freddie will become the household name synonymous with courage in the face of insurmountable odds I feel he deserves to be.

__________________

So, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I hope you enjoyed it. I will absolutely accept any and all feedback and, take Spanky Stephens advice: "When you are feeling lower than a snake's belly, think about how Freddie always rose up."

Freddie never accepted what was was handed him, he went out and earned everything he was able to and then some. He fought for every achievement he could get, never settled for giving less than his all, and never let anyone tell him what he couldn't do. So many lessons can be learned from this young man's courage and sticktoitiveness  that it almost seems too Disney, too made up, but I assure you it is all true. 

There are many days when life seems hard and the weight of juggling two jobs and going to school seems like too much for me to handle, but when I think of Freddie and his legacy that he has left behind, I know I can muster the courage and ability to keep striving and never settle. 

Do yourselves a favor and look at some of the links and familiarize yourself with the little guy with the big heart.

http://www.texassports.com/news/2005/11/23/112305aae_461.aspx

http://www.freddiejoesteinmark.com

Movies! Movies! Movies!

So, I told you all that I would talk you about the movies I have seen and stuff, right? <---- Eloquent sentence, I know. Anyway, a little background on me and movies. I like movies. I think they are a wonderful way to clear your mind and enjoy someone else's reality. I live across the street from a pretty nice theater and that makes it easy to go when there's time.

Don't get me wrong, I read books to expand my mind as well, but sometimes I want the story to be told in two hours as opposed to two weeks (read: I am a bit of a slow reader). Okay, so here's the deal, same with the music; I am no expert nor do I claim to know what I'm talking about. I do, however, know what I enjoy and so that's what I plan on letting you all know about.

Some of these movies will be new and still in theaters, some of them will be newish, and some may be classics. There probably won't be much of a pattern but there will probably be at least one new movie a week. I also want to use this space to watch some classic movies that everyone should see. Maybe I'll plow through the AFI lists.

Okay, enough with the intro. You get it, I know. It's not like it's rocket surgery, anyway. BTW, I'm not trying to give an spoilers, just thoughts.

So, this week I have FIVE movies for you all, four new movies you can still catch in theaters and one that came out around a year ago that has been making the rounds on Showtime recently.

1. We're The Millers: So, there's nothing super original about this movie. It's pretty straightforward comedy and, well, somewhat predictable. The thing is, it's super funny. All two hours are crazy funny. Jason Sudekis and Jennifer Aniston and the rest of the cast all work well together and if you can go more than a few minutes along the way without laughing, then something may be wrong with you, just saying. Hint: Watch the outtakes, it's worth the extra few minutes before you leave the theater.
2. The To Do List: Raunchy. Funny. Uncomfortable. Those are the three words that come to mind for this comedy about a nerdy high school valedictorian who wants to "be experienced" before heading off to Georgetown. Some fun cameos and, if you're like me and grew up in the 90s, the clothes, music and other accoutrements are spot on. It does contain some pretty gratuitous gross-out comedy a la American Pie and other movies of the genre, but it's laugh-til-it-hurts funny in some moments. Something to watch for: A scene early on, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, better known as McLovin, answers the door wearing a Hypercolor shirt. I used to own that shirt.
3. The Wolverine: Not much to say about this one. It was good, just like most everything else Hugh Jackman does. It has some decent plot intricacy and some fun twists. The action and fight scenes are pretty awesome and it's not all just Hugh rampaging through slicing and dicing with his Adamantium claws. There is some decent samurai sword action in play. It's a fun summer blockbuster that's worth seeing, especially if you are into the comic book flicks that the kids like so much these days.
4. Pacific Rim: Holy moly, what a fun movie! I know that it's hokey and there are robots fighting monsters, but isn't that what movies are about? This is reality suspended at it's finest. I mean, Charlie Day plays a scientist. If that doesn't say suspended reality, I don't know what does. It's got a little bit of Independence Day, Armageddon, and loads of other summer blockbusters. Go see this flick. Watch it in 3D. It's not serious so don't expect it to be. Do, however, expect to have a fun movie-watching experience.
5. Liberal Arts: Of all of the movies I have seen in the past year, this has to be one of my favorites. It's a traditional story about going home again and finding yourself. It's in the same vein as Garden State so if you were into that flick, do yourself a favor and watch this one. Yes, there are similarities between the two, even down to the similarities between lead actors/writers in both. The soundtrack also has some pretty glorious classical music to enjoy as well and the third Olsen sister - yes, there is another one and this one's not a twin - is just plain adorable as coed Zibby.

Clip for the day: This guy plays a scientist, that's all I'll say.

New Happenings From the Forty Acres

So, where I left you all last week with my update was by saying that perhaps an advanced degree was in my future because I have been really enjoying the coursework and all that it entails. Putting it in print last week was the first time the thought process truly became something real.

After sitting, thinking, and praying on it over the weekend, I decided to reach out to my professor from this class that I am taking this summer, Dr. Jan Todd, and pick her brain on a few things; namely, whether she thought I would be a good fit for the program - she's in charge so she would know - and what steps I would need to take moving forward to make it happen.

We set a meeting for earlier this afternoon, and, to my surprise, it was she who brought up the idea of me pursuing a Masters degree in Sports Management. She asked if I had considered it and even thought that I'd possibly be able to start the program before finishing this degree I'm working on currently. I told her that was precisely what I wanted to meet with her about and so we talked options moving forward. There are still a lot of things to get down to, and some research-y type stuff to do, but if all goes well, I may be able to start in the spring!

This will be an ongoing story and I will definitely keep you all up-to-date!

As far as this course is going, I made a B+/A on the first paper, A on the second paper, 95 on the test (highest grade in the class!) and just turned in my third paper yesterday.

Looking forward to having you all take this journey with me!

So Much New Music!

So, I think I have finally figured out how exactly I am going to go about the music portion of this blog. New music comes out weekly, generally on Tuesdays, and I consume a lot of it. Mainly angled towards rock stuff, but my tastes are wide and varied so there will be write-ups on loads of different stuff on Tuesdays for me to write about. I must warn you, though, while I love music and it is an every day part of my life, I have no musical background other than liking to do karaoke, singing (probably off-key) to songs as loud as possible in the car, seeing more shows than I care to count, and just enjoying the way the right song can magically altar my mood. So, with that said, if you are looking for a technical breakdown of tunes, this won't be the place. If you wanna know what someone with self-proclaimed good taste in music is enjoying, then this will be the place for you.

So, I will review something new or classic or both and preview what will be included in the next week's edition as well as put a little playlist together because I love making mix tapes! These mixes will be songs that have been stuck in my head or that I have recently heard or liked, regardless of genre and I may give a brief description or thought on why it moves me and you can see if it does the same or something else for you.

So, this will be the hardest review process I will have to attempt mainly because I have the ability to write about whatever I want to. I have actually bought quite a bit of music recently but haven't had an opportunity to pile through it all, so I will do a review of two recent albums that I have given a few listens to completely; Kanye West's Yeezus and Jay-Z's Magna Carta... Holy Grail.

Let's start with Kanye. I know many of you may be grumbling right now because you can't stand the guy and I couldn't be more on board with that assessment. He's crass, cocky and doesn't know when to shut up. He is also probably a musical genius in some regards. I heard him mention on VH1's Storytellers that "..so many people get caught up in trying to remake their first album, and it's impossible for me to remake The College Dropout... and that the songs on someone's 7th or 8th albums sound just like the songs on their first album" so he wanted to grow album-to-album. This new album is once again new territory for the self-proclaimed Louis Vuitton Don. I was hesitant to purchase this album at first after A) seeing him debut two songs on SNL, B) those songs being named Black Skinhead and New Slaves and C) the album title. He is treading in some dicey waters there if you ask me and some of that didn't jive with me. Considering that I had purchased each of his previous albums the day they were released, it was a big deal for me to put off picking this one up a month after release. So here's what I think about it:

• It's extremely different. Filled with a lot of industrial beats and just general loud noises. The soundscape of this album will probably appear on many albums over the next few years because that's what seems to happen when Kanye releases albums. My first listen pained my ears trying to get over the disorganized noise, but after a few listens and my ears assimilating to what was happening, I must say that it's a pretty fun listen. My favorite songs are On Sight, Black Skinhead (which is featured in numerous movie trailers currently, including the new Leo DiCaprio/ Matthew McConaghey vehicle The Wolf of Wall Street), Blood on the Leaves, and Bound 2. Least favorite song was an easy one for me; the poorly named I Am A God. I just don't really enjoy that premise and have probably fast-forwarded through that tune every time I've listened to the album since my first swim through it. All-in-all, if you like cutting edge sounds and fun beats and can get past songs with a lot of cussing and some pretty poor song titles, give this album a shot

Next up: Jay-Z's Magna Carta... Holy Grail. I don't have as many HSO's on this album as I do on the Kanye album and that's probably because Jay has started aiming his albums at middle America. That's not to say that there isn't edge on this album, there's just not much controversy. It's a pretty straightforward hip-hop/rap album. 

• It's not another Jay-Z masterpiece, but it's a good, solid album. It incorporates a lot of different sounds and beats and some fun collaborations with, not only his wife, but Frank Ocean, Justin Timberlake and Rick Ross to name a few. This isn't Jay's best work by a long shot, but, as I said before, it's worth listening to. My favorite tunes: Holy Grail(feat. Justin Timberlake), Oceans(feat. Frank Ocean), Crown,  and Jay Z Blue(I love the Mommy Dearest and Notorious BIG samples). Least Favorite: La Familia, Heaven, Nickels and Dimes.

Next week I will be reviewing two new albums that came out today, The Polyphonic Spree's Yes, It's True. and the self-titled album from The Civil Wars as well as the Robin Thicke album Blurred Lines, which came out last week.

Now for my mix tape(with some personal notes)!

• M83 - My Tears Are Becoming A Sea - Just an epic song full of grandeur.
• Gogol Bordello- Wonderlust King - If you've never seen these guys live, you're missing out! This is one of my favorites that they do.
• Mumford and Sons - Below My Feet - A song I love running to, for obvious reasons.
• Of Monsters and Men - Dirty Paws - Many people know their other work with Little Talks, but this is probably my favorite song off of their album.
• The Flaming Lips - She Don't Use Jelly - The first song I ever heard of theirs and it still kicks ass.
• Kishi Bashi - Manchester - Such a beautiful tune and a wonderfully talented guy. One that you could work out to or sleep to.
• The Piano Guys - Rockabel's Canon - A fun take on Canon in D.
• The Smiths - Asleep - When I die, I want this song played at my funeral. I have listened to this song so many times it hurts. A lot of times with the lights off and the sound up. It's hauntingly beautiful and sad.

Below the playlist I have put a YouTube video of Gogol Bordello so you all can experience a little of what I am talking about when I reference their live show as well as a video of Kishi Bashi playing this same song live. Both are worth watches so if you must, skip them on the list and just watch the videos.

Thanks as always for reading and listening. An extended version of this playlist will be available on my Facebook. For some reason, four songs went missing in the load process. Have a great Wednesday!

On Football, Johnny Football, and Steroids

What a weird last few days in sports. I honestly don't really know where to start so I will start with what's been in everyone's face not only today, but over the last few weeks.

Full disclosure for those that don't know me all that well: I am on my way to becoming a two-time graduate of The University of Texas at Austin and with that comes a healthy desire for rivalry with two schools, OU and Texas A&M. As Longhorns, the schadenfreude is high when it comes to those two schools, and before I get called a jerk for reveling in the failures of others, those two schools feel the same about us.

With that said, I will say that these past few weeks have been a little bit of a back and forth within me about how to feel about good ole Johnny Football. As an Aggie, I am generally rooting for his failure, but that's only between the lines. As someone who has made my fair share of mistakes but has had the family and friend support to help get me back headed into the right direction, I just want to reach out to the kid and lend some support. I want to feel bad for him when I read about the way his mom and dad treat him and have treated him since his meteoric rise to fame last season. They are trying to maximize their window of opportunity and earning potential while it's there, and while I am never one to condemn something like that, the NCAA rules are in place and haven't changed in a long time so the fact that they can't follow them and steer him in the right direction as the parents blows my mind. Some of the stuff I can forgive. I was 20 not that long ago and for those of you familiar with me at age 20, you remember that I, much like John Foot, enjoyed the occasional adult beverage. I also probably got asked to leave a party. I was also flippant with money that wasn't mine. I also wasn't the first one that ever acted that way and Johnny won't be the last.

The part that makes me irate, and would drive me insane if I were an Aggie, is how arrogant and above-the-law he has conducted himself. It's one thing to get a little partied up and get out of control. In today's social media-driven climate, we even sometimes post things we don't mean or would love to have back. My 50 twitter followers or so don't care what I post. I doubt anyone even reads what I put on there in most regards. Johnny has treated us as if we are all stupid and that's what doesn't work for me. It's tough to be young. I know that. It's tough to be a celebrity, at least from what I've read and been told. Combine the two and it's no walk in the park. One thing I do feel that I have a grasp on is Aggies and the way that they treat each other. The reason that schools goof on aTm is that we don't truly get it. It's cool. I'll admit it. Aggies stick with one another more so than most. They blindly take up for one another and protect their own. The point I am trying to make is that if there were ever one place where it would be simple to be a big-time celebrity, it would be College Station, TX.  Secluded from big city life, kind of in the middle of nowhere, filled with people who generally have your best interest at heart because you are one of their own. I understand his star is bigger than most, but any quarterback at a big-time school is a celebrity. You think AJ McCarron at Alabama walks unnoticed across campus? How about Braxton Miller at Ohio State? What about when Vince Young was at Texas? Or Ricky Williams for that matter? Is Johnny Manziel more accomplished than those players and/or the countless others I haven't listed? The way he has acted since winning the Heisman Trophy is careless and reckless.

That's more than I cared to say about that, so onto something else...

So, it's officially football season. How do I know these things? Well, I got to have my first argument last night regarding Tony Romo. I won't get into all of it, but here's the gist: As far as I am concerned, Tony Romo is not the main issue with the Dallas Cowboys and those who believe so are delusional and I don't have a problem telling them that. Is he the best quarterback in the history of ever? Probably not, but he's far from the worst.

Ask yourself this the next time that you feel like bashing Tony Romo: In the last 4 years, what top-of-the-line quarterback has been available for the Cowboys to have? Once again, I'm not asking if there have been better or more successful quarterbacks in the NFL, I am asking for an opinion as to whom the Cowboys could have signed that would have given them a better chance at winning than Tony Romo. Make sure to factor in that trading up in the draft to take RG3 or Andrew Luck would cost us picks that could potentially help shore up the offensive line, not that Jerry Jones has done much in that regard even with the picks we have had.

And one last thing:

Steroids suck. I am sad that Nellie Cruz won't be flexing his muscle and ability for the next 50 days on my favorite tv show, otherwise known as Rangers baseball. I am not in the camp that feels he was selfish by not appealing the suspension so he could play a few games longer. I feel as if him accepting the punishment shows signs of remorse and acknowledgement for wrongdoing. I applaud him for that and will welcome him back with open arms come playoff time.

And now for links:
 The Cowboys Fourth String QB:

And since I talked so much Aggies today for the first, and most likely the last time, here's Dude Perfect: