Monthly Archives: July 2010

Life as an Unemployed College Graduate

Posted on by
Reply

Life is all sorts of slow right now. Ever since I finished my college degree I’ve been reveling in the glow of unemployment and pet-projects. It’s a glow that doesn’t waver, however it was never all too bright to begin with.

Just a week after I clocked my final hour of undergraduate learning I took a vacation up to Boston to visit my brother and friends. It was a great trip, one that I remember more fondly as time passes. The most memorable event of the three nights I spent there was undoubtedly the unbearable heat. Every night there I would wake up at least once in a full-bodied sweat. Upon reflection it was one of the most cost-efficient saunas I have ever purchased. Save on air conditioning, embrace the heat, clear your pores.

Coming back from Boston I hit a bit of culture-shock. I didn’t realize how fully I had re-embraced Boston life. It easily took me a full day to readjust to the dull-hum of suburban life. It’s horribly dull, this suburban life.

Yet it was short lived for three short days later I was traveling again, this time to Toronto. This was my first time in Toronto, and my second in Canada. The experience driving up was tame fun, punctuated by a ten-minute period of torrential rains. Aside from those moments of acute terror nothing horribly eventful occurred.
Continue reading →

Week of Links 001

Posted on by
Reply

I’m starting a new type of post on my blog. Previous to today I would make a new post for each new and interesting link that I found during my internet travels. It’s been fun, and helped increase my post count, but overall I’ve begun to feel as if each of those types of posts are unnecessarily bloating my blog.

So as of today (and going forward) I’m going to be posting – usually weekly – a collection of links with commentary that I have found interesting. These posts will help compress the amount of “bloat” posts that I’ve previously written, and also make for an easy reference of the latest happenings on the internet.

Let’s get started with the inaugural Week of Links post, number 001!


Continue reading →

BBC’s Steel Rail – Delicious Ale

Posted on by
Reply

Earlier this weekend, from Monday till Thursday, I gave myself a mini-vacation and visited my brother in Boston. I had a great time while there: I was reminded how much fun city life is and how amazing public transportation is.

While there I also got a chance to hang with a friend from high school. We met at a bar and shared drinks and stories. It was fun, and what made it even better was what beer they had available.

Almost a year-ago I tasted what is now my favorite ale. I’ve been searching high and low to find it but it seems to only be a regional brew. The beer is called Steel Rail and is made by the Berkshire Brewing Company. It’s a beautiful ale that’s not too heavy, not too soft, and is as sweet as honey while retaining the ale taste.

As written on BBC’s Steel Rail page:

BBC ’s flagship brew, a light colored, medium bodied ale, signature hop flavor and aroma. In the words of renowned beer writer Lew Bryson, Steel Rail EPA is “what the water in heaven oughta taste like”.

100 Posts and College Graduation

Posted on by
Reply

This post marks two awesome achievements for me: I have, since last Thursday, been a college graduate, and this is my blog’s 100th post. I was going to post about my graduation on Thursday – when it happened – but I delayed it so that it would strike on the 100th post. For a while I was worried it would take me a while to get to this 100th post, and I’d have to make my college graduation post land on post 99, but I managed to make it work.

Looking back at my high school graduation seems so far away. I can still remember that summer, the one before I left for college: it feels like a vivid dream, so distant in memory yet so close in feeling. I’ve spent many nights looking through photos taken that year, and during my college years, with each photo set eliciting memories long dormant. Each photo always bringing about a strong feeling of nostalgia.

And now here I am, five years later, roughed up, shook up, but still standing. I’m a man with a degree, one that will hopefully safely propel me into the next stage of my life. Coming out of five long years of learning, I hope all my work pays off. I can’t stand the thought of all that work being for waste. I don’t think it will be, but the current job market is scary. I’ll be the first to admit that.

So last week I was a student, and this week I’m unemployed. A chapter of my life is now complete, and I’m excited to find out what happens next. College? Check. 100 posts? Check. Future? Let’s go.

iPad Doodle 1

Posted on by
Reply

Recently I’ve been playing around with the drawing apps on my iPad more frequently. I’ve come up with some doodles that I like, and some that I don’t. The one’s that I like are simple, but retain a degree of poignance that I feel can be shared.

Here’s one I drew over the weekend. Let me know what you think.

Powered Speakers Return To My Bedroom

Posted on by
1

Look at what clever thing I did that made me feel so smart:

I’ve missed having powerful speakers in my room for a long time.  Until today I’ve been subsisting on this to produce music in my room:

I mean sure I have these speakers on my computer desk, but they’re in a separate room, and I gotta have my tunes while I’m computing.

So in summary, thank god for 1/8” to 1/4” adapters and male-to-male 1/8” cords.  Thank the musical gods.

Learn About Indie Rap: Sage Francis and Brother Ali

Posted on by
3

Underground rap artists don’t get much press. It’s a shame, some of these artists are incredible, bringing new ideas and sounds to the musical soundscape unheard of before. And really the more diversity that’s out there the better it is for everyone, hearing the same type of sound over and over gets old and boring. So thank goodness for these under-promoted, highly-qualified artists.

I want to bring your attention to two new underground rap artists that I have recently come across. They both have a unique style of lyrical delivery that, in its current incarnation, I doubt would be accepted on most mainstream radio stations. I don’t think it’s impossible for them to ever achieve mainstream success however I don’t think it’s their intention. They know what they do, they do it well, and I’m looking forward to hearing more of it. Continue reading →