Band Of The Week- 4/25

This week's "Band of the Week" came a little early, but I write the blogs, so I can make the rules. This week its "Minus The Bear." During first semester, I discovered the band by working for WCRD's Music Team. Basically, my job was to listen to music and then decide if it was worth listening to on the radio. Most of the stuff we got would be sub-par demos from below average bands, but every once in awhile we would get a gem of a CD. Such is the case with Minus The Bear's "Omni." The entire album is amazing and it is easily one of the best albums I have listened to in a very long time.

For the sake of time, here is the lone single from the album. Keep in mind that as amazing its this song is, its one of the worse ones on the album. THAT is how good this band is.

You Should Follow Me

After reading Brandon's post about Twitter, I decided to share my two cents on the website. I personally love Twitter. I can find out about my friends, companies, and celebrities all in one place. It also seems to lack the drama and constant fighting that I have recently noticed has been plaguing Facebook.

Long story short, if you have a Twitter, follow me @tcrazyknuckles.

Band Of The Week- 4/20

The band of the week for this week is "Circa Survive."I listened to them a ton when I was younger, but for some reason I kind of just quit. That is until a few days ago. My neighbor, who is a music nut, gives me all sorts of amazing CD's every once in a while and in this last batch was Circa Survive's newest album "Blue Sky Noise." I listened to it and was completely blown away. Since that point, I have not listened to anything else. Every single song is amazing and so beautifully done.

Here is my personal favorite song on the album (not to say that every song isn't good.)

Tonight...

Tonight shall be interesting to say the least. It is the ATΩ formal so I'm expecting things to get a wee bit crazy. Let's hope no one dies....

The Band of the Week- April 13th

I don't really know why I didn't think of this earlier. Since I'm so into music, I figured I might as well share some of my personal favorites. From now on, I am going to share with you a new band every Wednesday. Today's band: CLUTCH.

These guys are nowhere "new" but that doesn't mean they aren't awesome. I
completely forgot about this band for awhile, until my roommate started playing some a few days ago. Immediately, I remembered how good these guys were and I haven't stopped listening to them since.

Here is the video for one of their more popular songs (and the song that got me interested in them in the first place.)

Spring!

I can finally say that it is spring! I kinda wish that it was a little bit warmer, but I can't complain. And only a few more weeks of school left! Woo!

Whoops...

I definitely thought today was Monday. I have no idea why. I just woke up and started walking to my 10 o'clock class....which is only on Monday. Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy it ISN'T Monday, but I'm just baffled at how I managed to think that.

I'm Hungry

I'm starving right now. I could very easily go to the Atrium and get something to eat, but that would require me to battle hoards of people in an attempt to MAYBE find a table. So I shall suffer for another hour or two until I can get lunch.

Dear Mother Nature...

Dear Mother Nature,
I'm not here to complain about your decisions concerning the weather. I'm here to tell you that everything is going to be alright. I understand that you may be going through some rough times, but it will get better. Trust me. I think that you just need some positive reinforcement. You are doing a fantastic job, as you always have. Just look at some of the things you have done. Remember when you had that awesome stretch of beautifully sunny days in the middle of winter? Or that time you made it rain at just the right time to cool everyone down? Let's go back to those times. We miss you the way you were.

Love,
Tom Knuckles

The Problem With These Blogs...

I really wish most of you would post stuff more often, so I could actually comment on them. Instead, I'm stuck commenting on the same four or five peoples stuff. Not saying that I have a problem with those who I comment on, but a little variety would be nice.

I'm So Tired.

I want to sleep. I have felt worn out this entire week. I can hardly keep my eyes open at the moment. Only one more class until I can nap......

Busy Day Ahead

I do not enjoy Wednesdays very much this semester. I always seem to have stuff to do that prevents me from relaxing. For a decent chunk of the rest of the day I will be spending time in the library doing work for about 50 different things. Oh well.....

I Love This Weather

Finally! After weeks and weeks of mother nature deciding to tease us with nice weather, we get it! It's so warm out. Let's just hope it continues!

Side note: Its the weekend. 'Nuff said.

Exhibit A As To Why People Under The Age Of 15 Should Not Get Record Contracts

I can't get this stupid song out of my head. No its not Creed, nor is it Nickelback. Its not even that godforsaken "Like A G6" song. It's the next internet sensation, Rebecca Black's "Friday."

I completely discovered the song by accident. For the past few days, one of the trending topics on Twitter has been "Rebecca Black." (SIDE NOTE: follow me- @tcrazyknuckles. Thanks.) I like to check out the trending topics every once in a while just to see what is happening in the world outside of my interests. After noticing her name slowly rising farther and farther on the list, I decided to check it out. I clicked on her name only to be flooded with a mass of Tweets proclaiming the joys of "Friday." So I decided to search the video to see if the Twitterverse was correct.

What I was greeted with was a disgrace to music. As I quickly discovered, all of the Tweets praising "Friday" were sarcasm at its best. For those of you who haven't heard this song, its basically a 13 year old girl singing about her "troubles" concerning the week, including not eating her cereal, waiting for the bus, and not knowing if she should sit in the front seat or the back seat with her friends (who are all also 13 but can somehow drive.) She then sings about the days of the week (for anyone who doesn't know them, presumably the target audience) and how the best one is Friday. Finally, a random middle-aged black guy (who looks suspiciously like Common) begins rapping about changing lanes in traffic. Needless to say, he has already killed his career before it even began.

Here is the link to the video for those of you who haven't seen it. WARNING: IT MAY CAUSE YOUR EARS TO BLEED!

I'm Back!

After my week-long hiatus from blogging, I have returned! I decided to take spring break off and simply relax. I pretty much sat around most of the week and watched Lost. However, I did go see Haste The Day's last show ever last Friday. It was beyond belief and probably the single best concert I have ever been to. Definitely the best $16 dollars I have ever spent.

Spring Break

Only one more class to go until spring break for me. Thank god. I'm not going anywhere special but it'll be nice to just relax at home. This last week has ran me thin and a week-long break from work will be much appreciated. I just hope it isn't pouring the entire time I'm home.

Have a fun and safe spring break everyone!

Dear Wednesday

Dear Wednesday,
Why must you be so mean? Especially this week. Spring break is so close I can almost touch it, but yet you must rear back your ugly head and make me feel bad. Only two classes, but yet somehow, you managed to make my day filled with other things that I cannot avoid. Meetings, homework, midterms. Is there anything in your bag of tricks that you have not pulled out yet? Don't hate me Wednesday, I never did anything to you.

Tom

LOST

I am addicted. I had always meant to watch Lost, but every time I would make an effort to watch it, I would get distracted and confused. However, now that the entire series is on Netflix, I have decided to start from the beginning and work my way all the way through. Currently, I'm a little over half-way through the first season, but it's gonna take some time. The first season alone is 25 episodes, with each being 45 minutes long, and with a total of 6 seasons, I'm going to be here for awhile. So if you need to find me, I'll probably be watching Lost.

Help Me

I need some suggestions. My Netflix queue is currently running thin and I want some suggestions for movies to watch. I don't really care what genre, just as long as its good. So let me know.

On another note, there is a movie that I really want to see. Its called "Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil." It was released a year or so ago, but I haven't been able to find it anywhere. For those of you who haven't seen the trailer, here it is. Enjoy!

Looking Too Good For My Own Good

I am wearing a suit. Well, not exactly a "suit" but a pair of nice pants, a dress shirt, a tie, and the vest that goes with my suit. So basically a suit.

I must admit, I look awesome right now. Not that I don't normally or anything, just more awesome than normal.

It has been scientifically proven that when you wear a suit (or anything that makes you look good) you have more confidence, and therefore perform better in most social situations, including (but not limited to) school, work, parties, etc. This is how I feel right now. I feel like I could do anything right now. Just my little tidbit from the day.

Classical Music

I forgot how much I love classical music. Every Wednesday and Friday, I sit out in front of the Indiana Public Radio studio in the Letterman Building while I wait for my next class. This is the time when I write my blogs as it gives me something to do while sitting here. During this time, IPR has a segment dedicated to classical music. I hear what is being played and it allows me to relax and remember a genre of music that most people have forgotten.

It's So Nice Out

The weather has made a turn for the better and I love it. I normally don't mind winter, but this year was just ridiculous. It probably had something to do with fact that I had to walk everywhere, but that's beside the point. I'm just glad that Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow and that spring is right around the corner.

I wish I lived in a place that allowed me to be more open in my opinions. For anyone that actually knows me, my opinions are probably a lot different than yours. I'm a much more liberal person than most of the Midwest likes to entertain and this causes me to butt heads with a large majority of the conservative population. Don't hate me for it. That's just who I am.

People tend to write me off from right off the bat as being one thing or another. I say one word and then I become vilified for what I think. For example, in the argument of abortion, I personally am Pro-Choice. However, this does not mean that I support abortions. My stance is that the government should not be the ones to make the decision on this discussion. Rather, it should be the choice of those who it directly affects. The problem arises when I attempt to explain my position. Most people hear the words "Pro-Choice" and they immediately hate me. I understand that while we may not agree on the subject, at least give me a chance to explain myself.

My opinion is my opinion. Respect that. It may not be your opinion, but it is mine. If you really have that big of a problem with what I have to say, then don't listen.

The annoyances of being a single male in a world of females in relationships.

People never listen to me. They should, but they don't. I generally offer pretty good advice but unfortunately, it often times has to deal with things that they recipient doesn't want to hear, but are true. I even get people that come to me for advice and they still ignore it and almost every time, I end up being right. There is no better example of this than the numerous girls who come to me with problems with their boyfriend/boy-toy/friend with benefits/crush/etc.

For some reason, every girl thinks that I am the perfect person to listen to their relationship troubles. They come to me for advice and I tell them how I feel. On more than one occasion, I have had friends come to me talking about how their boyfriend does not treat them the way that he should. I have had friends who have dated physically-abusive boyfriends, guys who have cheated on them, and about every other situation you can think of. They come to me for advice and I tell them to break up. Do they? No. They continue to date the things that are causing so much grief in their lives.

Whats even more annoying is that I inevitably get a response that irks me even more. "I wish I dated a guy like you." THEN WHY DON'T YOU?! All of these girls are obviously smart enough to identify that their relationships have problems and that they deserve better, but they do absolutely nothing about it. So instead of me being in a nice, committed relationship, I'm stuck here just listening to the problems that everyone else has.

However, nothing even COMPARES to the sort of annoyance I get from women than that of the bitter ex. For example, I follow one of my good friends on Twitter and she recently (like 2 months ago) broke up with her boyfriend for some reason relating to him not treating her right (which I applauded her for doing.) However, little did I know that she would still be so bitter about it. For the past 2 months, my Twitter feed has been assaulted by how awful he is. Seriously? Move on. In addition to that, she keeps commenting on how the next relationship she gets into will be with someone who treats her well. But has she done anything about that? Nope. Instead, she just keeps posting depressing (and annoying) tweets.

Women need to understand that life is not like it is in romance films. There is no Prince Charming that will sweep her off of her feet, no knight in shining armor to come and save her from the perils that are the male gender, and there definitely is no moment that is in ANY Nicholas Sparks novel. At the same time, men need to realize that women should be treated with respect and compassion, not as arm candy.

Obviously, there is a lot that everyone needs to work on, but it looks like until we get to that point, I will just be stuck here being the advice column that nobody reads.

I Need Suggestions

Last night, my roommate and I decided to make some music. Using our friend's keyboard, we decided to create some hip-hop beats that we could give to some of the other guys on the floor. However, after we tried our hand at producing out own beats, we thought about sampling a song. Any suggestions for what we should use?

Log #4

Tuesday February 1st
NO CLASS!! Thank Snowpocalypse for that one.

Thursday February 3rd
We finished the intensive reviews today. The entire class was spent discussing the different papers from the remaining authors. That's really about it.

Don't EVER Argue Music With Me

I would like to retract my last post. Well, not all of it, but some of it. As I mentioned before, most of my floor is musically inclined and I can discuss music with them for the most part. Since that post, however, I have come to realize that this is not the case. I have discovered that my next door neighbor has no clue about music. He is just smart enough to be stupid, which bugs me. A few days ago, my roommate and I were listening to The Beatles, one of the most influential bands of all time, when he walked in. "Turn that off and play some real rock," he said. "The Beatles are awful." I merely laughed that one off.

But it continued to get worse.

The next day, he walked into my room as I was playing Rock Band. I just so happened to be playing an Aerosmith song. "I hate Aerosmith. They are so bad." Two amazing bands torn to shreds and robbed of their proper place in musical history in two days. It had to stop here, right?

Wrong.

The next song I chose to play was Van Halen's "Hot For Teacher," a song by a band that inspired thousands of kids to pick up a guitar. "I can't stand Van Halen. They have no importance in the world of music." I lost it.

"Wait a minute. Are you telling me that Van Halen has absolutely no significance in the history of music?" I said.

"That is what I said. They did nothing good," he responded.


"And you are also saying that The Beatles and Aerosmith, both of which had profound influence on music, are no good?"


"That is exactly what I am saying. They never released anything good."


At this point, I was a little bit hot under the collar. "Ok then. If you hate The Beatles, Aerosmith, AND Van Halen, who DO you like?"

His response put me over the edge.

"My favorite band is Blink 182."

I couldn't believe it.

"GET OUT OF MY ROOM RIGHT NOW! I WILL NOT STAND HERE AND LET YOU INSULT THREE OF THE BEST AND MOST INFLUENTIAL BANDS IN THE HISTORY OF MUSIC! COME BACK WHEN YOU HAVE AN APPRECIATION FOR GOOD MUSIC."

For those of you who don't know much about music, without The Beatles, Aerosmith, or Van Halen, my neighbor's precious Blink 182 wouldn't even exist.

I found out later that he also enjoys Rascal Flats, but thinks that Led Zeppelin is one of the worst bands of all time.

I Love My Floor

I love my floor. Everyone is so friendly and awesome. We almost always have our doors open and people come and go all the time. On top of that, a good chunk of us are musically inclined or at least have a strong appreciation for music, so I can discuss bands with them. I always enjoy talking music, but I can hardly ever find people that like to talk about anything music-related, or if they do, they are too dumb to know what they are talking about. Fortunately, almost everyone on my floor can discuss music without incident, and those who can't have learned not to argue music with me.

People Watching

I always enjoy people watching. Observing everyone's little quirks, even for just a few seconds is intriguing to me. I know they say to not judge a book by it's cover, but I believe you can tell a lot about a person based on a single glance. I can get a good idea if you have money by what brands of clothing you are wearing. I can tell that you are running late when you are quickly shuffling past others walking at normal speed. Is your head held high? If so, you are probably a confident person. I can probably tell you what kind of music you listen to, the movies you watch, and the books you read just by looking at your shoes. I notice the guys who think they have a shot and the girls who clearly think the opposite. I know these are sweeping generalizations but the way you present yourself, what you wear, how you act, and who you associate with are probably a pretty accurate view of who you truly are.

I often catch people staring at me. I've always wondered why. I glance up and momentarily lock eyes with total strangers. Some look away, while others keep staring. Some even look away, only to look back moments later. Am I that attractive? Or just that weird looking? Are they just doing what I do? Or is there really something deeper, trying to figure out my life story in a only a moment? Are they assessing where I stand against them? Or are they just curious to see if I will do anything different than every other person they look at? I will probably never know as I will never see most of these people ever again.

The people that I truly find interesting are the ones who respond in a way that is very out of the norm, the ones who will approach you after simply making eye contact. Sometimes its in a confrontational manner, others just out of kindness. An example of this occurred to me a few days ago. I was at a meeting and I as I got up to leave, I locked eyes with a girl who I have never seen before in my life. I quickly made my assumptions about her and was about to move on. But she did something almost no one does. Instead of simply averting her gaze, she kept staring at me and then smiled. I smiled back. We both had no intention of meeting the other and we both knew that the whole experience was nothing more than a pleasant one. We had never exchanged a single word between the two of us and I doubt I will ever see her again. People say to not assume anything about anyone, but I think I learned a lot about the random girl with nothing more than a few seconds and a smile.

Owww....

Currently, I am sitting in the Letterman Building, trying to find a comfortable way to sit. So far, I've had no luck. On Monday, my friends and I played football in the rec center on the turf field for a good two hours or so and I'm really feeling it today. If I could just replace my back, legs, and shoulder, I would be a much happier person at the moment.

Since the purpose of these blogs is for everyone to get to know who you are, I figure the best way to do this is to take one of those surveys that I always get tagged in on Facebook. So here is the most recent one....

Sixty-five Questions You've Probably Never Been Asked

1. First thing you wash in the shower?
Hair
2. What color is your favorite hoodie?
Either black or grey.
3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?
Uh...I guess?
4. Do you plan outfits?
Not unless its for something important.
5. How are you feeling RIGHT now?
 Glad that its the weekend.
6. Whats the closest thing to you that's red?
The bricks that are right in front of me in the Letterman Building
7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having?
I can't really remember any dreams in recent memory.
8. Did you meet anybody new today?
Not that I'm aware of at least.
9. What are you craving right now?
White Castle
10. Do you floss?
Nope (but don't tell my dentist)
11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage?
 A disgusting food
12. Are you emotional?
Not normally, I'm usually pretty level-headed.
13. Have you ever counted to 1,000?
Nope.

14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it?
In a bowl- I bite, in a cone- I lick.
15. Do you like your hair?
On most days I do. Today is one of those days.
16. Do you like yourself?
Yes. I am the most awesome person ever.
17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush?
Is he paying?
18. What are you listening to right now?
NPR. Its playing right above my head.
19. Are your parents strict?
They can be.
20. Would you go sky diving?
I'd like to, but I don't know if I could will myself to do it.
21. Do you like cottage cheese?
Ew. No.
22. Have you ever met a celebrity?
Yes. Reggie Miller, Isaiah Thomas, the members of Enter Shikari, and the members of Four Year Strong.
23. Do you rent movies often?
Through Netflix I do.
24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in?
Not that I can tell.
25. How many countries have you visited?
2

26. Have you made a prank phone call?
Yup
27. Ever been on a train?
Numerous times. My dad used to work for the railroad. I love taking the train.
28. Brown or white eggs?
Either.
29.Do you have a cell-phone?
Yep.
30. Do you use chap stick?
No.
31. Do you own a gun?
I've got a BB pistol, a few Airsoft guns, and a paintball gun that jams all the time.
32. Can you use chop sticks?
Yes and no. I can, but I don't think that I use them correctly.
33. Who are you going to be with tonight?
Probably a bunch of the boys. I think we are going to finish the American Pie marathon tonight.
34. Are you too forgiving?
Haha probably.
35. Ever been in love?
I don't honestly know.
36. What is your best friend(s) doing tomorrow?
Probably sleeping.
37. Ever have cream puffs?
Yes! Cream puffs are amazing!
38. Last time you cried?
I really do not know.
39. What was the last question you asked?
A question in scriptwriting about formatting.
40. Favorite time of the year?
Probably summer, but I do enjoy winter.
41. Do you have any tattoos?
Not yet but I want to get one. However, my parents did say they would disown me if I did.
42. Are you sarcastic?
Its like my third language.
43. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect?
Yes I have.
44. Ever walked into a wall?
Hasn't everyone?
45. Favorite color?
Black and red.
46. Have you ever slapped someone?
Not when I actually meant it.
47. Is your hair curly?
When it gets really long, it turns curly.
48. What was the last CD you bought?
Creatures by Motionless In White.
49. Do looks matter?
Yes and no. Personality will get you farther in the long run, but looks are what get you noticed originally.
50. Could you ever forgive a cheater?
I honestly do not know. I've never been presented with the situation, so I'm not really sure how I would respond.
51. Is your phone bill sky high?
Nope. The joys of an unlimited data plan.
52. Do you like your life right now?
Yeah. It could be better, but I'm not complaining.
53. Do you sleep with the TV on?
Sometimes.
54. Can you handle the truth?
Usually
55. Do you have good vision?
Better than some, worse than most.
56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people?
Yes I do.
57. How often do you talk on the phone?
Fairly often.
58. The last person you held hands with?
Good question...haha.
59. What are you wearing?
Jeans, t-shirt, and a sweatshirt.
60.What is your favorite animal?
Raccoon
61. Where was your default picture taken at?
My friend's house for New Year's.
62. Can you hula hoop?
I've lost the skill a bit over the years, but yes.
63. Do you have a job?
Yes. I work for my mom's company.
64. What was the most recent thing you bought?
Textbooks. Extortion if I have ever seen it.
65. Have you ever crawled through a window?
On occasion.

A Look Back

After a few days of classes, I am pretty sure that this semester will be awesome. Mind you, its still early, but the weeks ahead look promising.

But before I can go further into the future, I want to take a look back at some of the things I have learned from my first semester of college.

Things that I have learned in college:

• Never take an 8am class. Ever.
• Do not expect people driving or riding a bike to stop.
• Netflix is my best friend. 
• Whenever you plan on going to bed at a reasonable hour, you remember that there was something you forgot to do.
• No matter what you are working on, at some point Facebook will distract you.
• Did I mention not to take an 8am class?
• Hip-hop actually is a viable form of music.
• If you work on your homework on a consistent basis, you will not be up until 4 every night.
• No matter how awful your dorm is, I will always trump you because I live in Lafollette.
• Muncie is somehow more entertaining than wherever you came from.
• Sunday night is the perfect time to watch football and catch up on homework.

Have a nice day!