03.03.06
On politics: caught in the middle
I don’t know what to do.
When it comes to politics, I can talk about reforms I’d like to have implemented, injustices that I’d like to see corrected, and policies that seem like the right way to go.
When it comes to politicians, on the other hand, I’m lost.
Give me liberty or give me: A confused and frustrated college student’s issues with the American political process.
02.20.06
Twenty-one
Today is my twenty-first birthday.
Insert poignant speech about the passage of time, fond memories, and bitter regrets.
I’m gonna go have a drink.
-Vic
02.14.06
Photos of France
Just a quick note: I’ve put up some photos I took in Paris on my Flickr account. These photos are viewable by the public, but I have other photos on Flickr that require an account to view (plus I have to list you as a friend), but they’re not that unique… just normal college life. I’ll make a note if I post some more in the near future.
By the way: I’m an amateur photographer, for those who don’t know. My work is on my DeviantArt page. Essentially, Flickr is for snapshots and DeviantArt is for art. Enjoy.
-Vic
01.24.06
Audio Snobbery: How to appreciate american hip-hop music
During my time in Paris, my musical taste has experienced a rap music renaissance. It has nothing to do with being there, though there is a large french hip-hop scene, but rather it was partly inspired from Nic’s recent embrace of the genre and my own subsequent explorations. I originally got into the music just as it was going mainstream, with Ma$e’s “Harlem World” album and Busta Rhymes’ “When Disaster Strikes”, But I all but gave up on it as commercialism took hold. You’ll have to excuse me for not being oldschool enough, but hey I was born in ‘85!
Nowadays, while commercial “hip-pop” is stronger than ever, I’ve noticed the beginnings of a movement that isn’t all about money, hoes, violence, etc. Most people (in my demographic) still dismiss hip-hop as a genre or embrace the most commercial aspects of it in order not to have to worry about musical taste at (frat) parties.
Holla baq fo’: An explanation of the elements of a hip-hop song and a rundown of some great artists at varying levels of obscurity.
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01.05.06
What I’ve learned: France
What I’ve learned.
France
France is a beautiful place and it pains me that I have to spend my last days here wishing for finals to be over.
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What I’ve learned: People
What I’ve learned.
People
Some knowledge you seek, some knowledge you stumble upon, and some is forced upon you.
What I’ve learned: Academics
What most people see as a beginning is more of an ending for me. My old-world trek is in it’s dying days.
I don’t leave the country for another week, but my experience here is essentially over. I have to write essays and study for finals until January 10th and then on the 11th I visit a friend in Salamanca, Spain until the 16th, when I go back to the United States. I haven’t done anything special since my trip to Rome, so this curtain is closing.
These past four months constitute the longest time I’ve ever been out of the US and the longest time I’ve ever lived in someone else’s home. That has had an effect on me, Paris has had an effect on me, people have… etc. This post is a sort of closure for my whole experience. Some things here may be of some interest to people planning to go abroad in the future, but I haven’t fleshed out what I’m going to write beforehand, so we’ll see.
This is a long post broken into easily digested smaller pieces. Read whichever of the sections that interests you.
Excuse me for not starting with something very meaningful. I’m still doing work and that’s what’s on my mind.
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12.24.05
10 tips for spending a few days in Rome
Rome. It was a great trip, of course, but nothing really bloggable… I saw lots of great historical things and really enjoyed myself, but this story is no different from what lots of other people would say. Instead, I’ll try to focus on a few things that people taking short vacations in Rome might not discover.
World wanderers click for: 10 good things to know if you plan to spend a few days in Rome Read the rest of this entry »
12.08.05
*End of the semester: CramJam2005
AHAHAH IT WAS ALL LIES.
turns out that extra essay stuff wasn’t true. Now I don’t twitch and tremble so much.
11.28.05
One night upon the countertop
The first time I tasted a pear, I didn’t really like it.
I don’t remember how old I was, but I was just not that enchanted with the taste, plus it itched my gums to take a bite out of one, as it did with an apple. After that first taste, I left them alone for the most part, preferring the tropical and berry families to their orchard-dwelling cousins. Since my arrival in France, however, I have found that our story would not end so quickly.
After the jump: A second taste and a deflowering
