Happy Stupid Valentine's Day

Current's Vanguard reports on the diamond and rose industries.

Funny (For Now)

WARNING: My idea of good comedy is something that will make me laugh due to its sheer stupidity. If it doesn't make sense or is so idiotic that it should never have been created, i will most likely find it hilarious. Absurdist comedy troupe's like UprightCitizensBrigade, the State, and Kids in the Hall are my idea of comedic brilliance. With that said, i present to you this blog...

Besides Tina Fey, the funniest thing that SNL has produced in the past few years has been the Digital Shorts. The concepts of these shorts are usually better developed and still completely ridiculous. You can also tell that they are the ideas of a specific comedian. From Lettuce, to the Mirrror, to Extreme Challange, 90% of the funny comes from Andy Samberg. This is pretty intriguing considering that he is not that funny on the show. "The Chronic (les of Narnia)" was one of the first real youTube sensations, but it was "Dick in a Box" that made me really laugh at this idiot. 

I think i like Andy because most of  his comedy comes in the form of music. Apparently he and his two long time friends have been making music and shorts together for quite a while and have recently been taking advantage of NBC to produce their own material. The collective known as Lonely Island have just released their debut album entitled "Incridibad", and it certainly is. The album includes greatest hits like "Natelie (Portman's) Rap", "Dick in a Box", and its follow up "Jizz in my Pants", as well as plenty of new tracks that are just so stupid they're funny. The real genius behind the album is that its a true satire of hiphop radio. The message being that hiphop today is void of any real depth or meaning. Any one of these songs can be a hit as long as it follows the right formula, it doesnt matter what they're rapping about. Whether it's being on a boat in "I'm on a Boat" or about Carlos Santana's new DVX champagne. "He makes his guitar weep but his champagne cry".

"Boombox" features one of the better hooks of recent hip hop, sung by Julian Casablancas of Strokes fame. The song is basically a cautionary tale about the use of a powerful boombox with the ability to bring about world peace. More laughable then this concept are the idiotic lyrics that they rap. "DreamGirl" is a song about, well, their dream girl. The song somehow makes a left turn and transforms into a commercial for chex mix, "the number one snack food in all the land with the cereal taste that you eat with your hand." Other highlights include "Ras Trent" the reggae jam sung by a middle class college student and the wonderfully deadpan "We Like Sportz". However, the show is stolen by the king of musical comedy, the golden voice of Tenacious D, Mr. Jack Black. I could describe "Sax Man" but it would ruin the joke. Listen for yourself and laugh.

The thing about comic music is that once the joke is over it becomes unlistenable. The people that transcend this theory are the ones who create music that is as good or better than then comedy (ie Tenacious D). I'm fairly certain that most of these songs will fade into obscurity after a while, but at the moment they are making me laugh. I will end this post with echoes of how it began. I enjoy stupidity. I am not promising you comic gold here. If you use BitTorrents and want a few laughs, check out the album. Or just follow the links for a quick listen. I, for one, enjoyed these 3 idiots and their dumb songs. But thats just me.

Defining Thought & Language

This video is an extraordinary look into the mind of one person with autism. It is not a representation of the inner workings of autism because almost every case is different. My lady has been working with children with autism for a few years now and i believe she is on the forefront of support and therapy. Needless to say, Autism is often a topic of conversation in our little apartment. I am by no means a scholar on the subject, just someone with a particular insight into one aspect of the "disorder". I think it is important to realize that not every person with autism is like Amanda. It is a vast spectrum. Some may be more capable of specific social or motor skills but will never be able to match her intellect or comprehension of language, environment and their relationship with each other. In my opinion, her ability to express herself surpasses most "typical" humans and it is a pleasure to hear her perspective. However, as she said, her video is not a statement about autism but "a statement about what gets considered thought, intelligence, personhood, language, and communication, and what does not." These are all topics that i've been studying and reflecting on as a future teacher. 

In class we've been discussing the theory of primitive language. Basically it's the myth that one language is better than another because it is used by more people, or its able to express specific ideas, or is just considered to be more proper. This is obviously false because a language is created to suit the needs of its speakers. As long as it does that properly than it is no better or worse. I think its important to understand this as a teacher, but especially as an English teacher. Proper language and proper writing are as much of a lie as the idea of primitive language. Embracing linguistic difference is as important as embracing cultural difference. What i need to be able to do properly is convey the importance of learning to write and speak "Standard English" while encouraging he use of their home or peer language. Language is a tool. Students need to know when and how to use "appropriate" language in order to get ahead in life because unfortunately people and employers will instantly judge someone's intelligence by their language and accent. 

I think i can really relate with Amanda. i sometimes feel very much out of touch with "normal" society. What is considered acceptable and proper is not usually how i feel. Like amanda, i often tap and bang on my environment and listen closely to how they respond. And i sometimes smell objects that most people would think strange. At times i honestly wish i could experience the world the way Amanda does. She is more honest with herself and more in tune with her environment than 99% of "normal" people.