Thoughts From Detention

Phi Kappa Psi Brings the Ruckus for Nicholas Colby

2011-03-07T15:06:00.000-08:00

The University of Oregon’s chapter Phi Kappa Psi will hold its second annual “Bring the Ruckus” philanthropy concert on April 30th @ 8:00 p.m. Phi Kappa Psi is the newest fraternity on Oregon’s campus and the only one that attracts popular artists to perform for a charitable cause every year. Last year, everyone from the audience to the artists had a rocking time and this year’s concert promises to build on last year’s success.

The headlining artist this year will be Starting Six, a popular group with roots in California’s Bay Area that has been picking up steam over the past year. The video for their hit single “Thirsty” currently has over 600,000 YouTube views (watch below) and has been a party anthem for countless college students this year.

Young Murph will also be returning to perform his crowd-pleasing classic hits from last year, such as “Nighttime” (watch below), along with some new songs like his new single, “Firefly”. After last year’s show, Young Murph was blown away by the crowd’s energetic reception and has said he can’t wait to come back.

With all the great performers at "Bring the Ruckus", it’s easy to forget that all this fun is for a truly great cause. Artists who perform for Phi Kappa Psi have been dedicated to lowering their performance fees so that Phi Kappa Psi can continue to donate all of the concert proceeds directly to charity. This year, Phi Kappa Psi will give to the Nicholas Colby Fund:

The Nicholas Colby Fund uplifts the spirits of children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses creating opportunities to smile and enjoy the wonders of being a child.

It’s a continuing story of love, hope, caring, and inspiration. Cancer touched and took the life of a little boy, but it didn't take the spirit of a child full of hope and dreams. The hope he could feel like a normal child, the dreams of being free and simply playing & having fun.

Through special relationships with children's hospitals and organizations ranging from the Golden State Warriors professional basketball team, Samsonite international luggage company, and local specialty markets like Diablo Foods and stores like Papyrus, a unique community of people has been created enabling events & experiences to be delivered all year long to children.

The concert will open with a short presentation by co-founder of the Nicholas Colby Fund, Lamont Gilbert, who will speak on how having a terminally ill child has affected his life and what we as college students can do to help make children in unfortunate situations smile.

The concert will be held in the Agate Hall Auditorium at Agate Hall on the University of Oregon’s campus. Tickets are available at the EMU box office for $7 or $10 at the door. If you can't make it to the concert or know somebody else who wants to help out, you're encouraged to give at our donation page set up to expand our fund raising efforts for the Nicholas Colby Fund.

For the most recent information on “Bring the Ruckus” join our Facebook event page and follow along on twitter:

Phi Kappa Psi: @PhiPsi_UOAlpha
Starting Six: @StartingSix
Young Murph: @YoungMurph

Raider Nation

2010-11-22T00:48:00.000-08:00

Here's to a great season thus far. Just win, baby.

via Mark563

The Insatiable Beautician

2010-11-19T13:43:00.000-08:00

How's a girl supposed to keep up? I'm disgusted. Read the annotations on this photo proof and formulate your own opinions on what is beauty, what is business, and what is ethical. Always consume responsibly.

via Jezebel

Di$parity

2010-11-19T11:53:00.000-08:00

Sky from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.

If you are ever trying to conceptualize how different the world is outside the American bubble and how male instincts are globally coordinated, this city is a great place to start. Dubai is really one of the wonders of the world and is still shrouded in mystery for most who view it extraneously. In recent years, I have become fascinated by the developments and architectural experiments constantly being undertaken by the UAE as well as the cultural turmoil that still exists despite the city's function as a global economic hub. Dubai has been known for starting multi-million dollar projects without having the foresight or the funds to wrap them up during economically turbulent times like they saw in 2010 (just like the fucking new expansion of the Bay Bridge we keep paying $6 tolls for). Once you get past the near-radioactive display of lights and metallic shimmer that cloaks the city, there is an even clearer display of the disparity of wealth, and how mankind was able to exploit this advantage in a very short period of time. Many look upon Dubai as a billionaire playground and its ostentatious displays provide us with a quintessential image of power, but when you throw enough money in the air it clouds what we should be able to see right in front of us. Dubai's blind spot is mainly in the area of labor and human rights, as more than 250,000 international workers come to participate in constructing Dubai's lavish projects and live in abject conditions to just to feed off of the surrounding wealth, but the ports that the city uses to generate the majority of its revenue have also lead to a large human trafficking dilemma in the city, mainly for prostitution.

The high number of expatriates visiting or living the city coupled with the wealth of the top earning citizens have made this enterprise incredibly lucrative- and it is only growing. Dubai's growth has been relatively quick considering that the city's real emergence only began in 1996 when the discovery of oil propelled it to exponential growth. It is fascinating how quickly the rich decided to separate themselves from the poor in such a short amount of time, sometimes needing to be a couple hundred stories off the ground just to make this disparity painstakingly clear. It is also interesting to see how different successful human societies allocate their funds when placed in an opulent position, but most prioritize their wealth in much the same way; Dubai is just an exceptional display of this because we can watch it occur over the last 50 years. However, I am never against taking things at face value for a little while, and this is one of the most beautiful cityscapes on the planet infused with a beautiful arabic culture and mysterious origins. This city has definitely sparked my intrigue and I hope when looking at it in the future you take a new perspective on what it costs to keep something like this beautiful. Consume responsibly.

Modern Family

2010-11-18T21:32:00.000-08:00

I Hate Goodbyes

2010-11-18T01:16:00.000-08:00

photo by German Saez

A Lesson Through Malice

2010-11-18T00:04:00.000-08:00

Malice's Book Excerpt #1 from Malice of the Clipse on Vimeo.

Malice's Book Excerpt #2 from Malice of the Clipse on Vimeo.

I am not religious in the least bit, but I fuck with spirituality. It is interesting to see how different people use spirituality to cope with what they are going through. In Malice's case, he is learning how to be true to himself through the fire and stress of self-criticism and interpreting the word of God. I wish I could understand the entirety of what he was going through, but I am also thankful that I don't. This is why African-Americans are beautiful and why (like Ricky Rozay said) Hip-Hop is so much deeper than rap. I could write a lot on this, but I'll let thought marinate in Malice's spoken word. Enjoy.

Are We Blind?

2010-11-17T23:01:00.000-08:00

Ahh, it's been a while since I advanced my blog movement, but it feels great to be writing again. Why I was absent is another post in and of itself and I have a lot to say, but I'll inch my way back into my writing groove by discussing what is on my mind at the moment.

It is once again finals time at the U of O and as far as I'm concerned the F.I.N.A.L.S. (Fuck I Never Actually Learned Shit) acronym is still the best descriptor of these useless exams. Other than the malevolent sentiment on campus during this time, Adderall is probably the most prevalent entity. I have never done this drug, nor do I ever plan on using it, but I'm sure many of you can attest to the statement that this is a miracle drug for anyone who might be interested in getting good grades. Yeah, sure you have been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD and you may rely on Adderall or something like it to get you through your normal activities; however, there are also those with you with self-diagnosed conditions that you convinced yourself of years ago and this is where the problem started. Yes- I said problem.

People not on college campuses may fail realize that we are on the front end of an epidemic that is sweeping the nation as quickly as republican idealism. Stimulants today are so effective and accessible today that for some students it is a no-brainer when deciding whether or not to pop a pill, hunker down and do a month's work in a few hours. Students are not entirely to blame for this. The majority of the college education system is flawed in the sense that when your whole grade in a class boils down to a few hundred pages of reading, a project, and two tests, students are given no incentive to stay on track with assigned work, and thus would rather cram at the end of the term to get it in. Understandable, but this shit poses a real threat to society as a whole when it isn't used for school at all and housewives use it to be superwomen or your bruh just rails the majority of his prescription to the dome. We are in uncharted territory with drugs like these because nobody knows about the long-term effects of taking controlled stimulants. I mean, how can we know when the drug was introduced in 1996? We can only scientifically guess and speculate, which is a little bit scary to say the least.

I have seen adderall do nasty things to beautiful people, but what gets to me is how it is legally dealt with, or lack thereof. When you have people going down for possession of marijuana (like the man in Oakland, CA who was killed with a small bag of marijuana and a scale last week), but students can freely share a schedule II controlled substance on a whim there is something wrong- very wrong. This drug is held up by stiff socioeconomic and racial boundaries, there is no doubt about that, and the rich will undoubtedly keep getting richer off of this while the poor couldn't find it if they tried. If you need your pills- take them, that is what advancements in technology are for, but we really need to consider the abuse and sale of these drugs seriously because they are affecting the social and academic landscape of this country adversely.

I have plenty of friends that participate in the activities described in this post, I don't blame any of you and it is not my job to hate or pass judgment. I think that the school system needs to change rather than the way we absorb the information. I hope this was thought-provoking nonetheless and that this movement stops before America is a nation built on speed. I wrote a decent sized paper on this topic so this is for sure not all on my mind, but it is a taste. Feel free to weigh in on the discussion.

I Miss You, I Love You.

2010-04-08T21:02:00.001-07:00

The Creative Bay

2010-04-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

If you are like me and sometimes think that the creative well of Bay Area music has dried up, you can thank GiGs for having a flow wet enough to restore confidence in the local Hip-Hop scene. When I first opened up the YouTube video I had no idea what to expect, but it didn't take more than the first bar to figure out that bruh was something special. His delivery is unique and is undoubtedly defined by his Oakland swag. From the changes in tempo to the melodic breaks in his rhythm, it's clear that even though he is young, GiGs has become incredibly familiar with expressing himself through rhymes.

What makes this upcoming artist exceptionally special is the way he has fine tuned his creative process to be able to deliver unexpectedly cleaver metaphors off top similar to a guy name Dwayne. This means when he says, "this where I let my mind expand", he means it because he uses rap as more of an extension of thought and emotion rather than simply just words on paper spewed out on a track. I have no doubts that if GiGs is smart about his career and he is as driven as he appears to be in his other videos, this guy will be up next. For now, I'll be listening to the slumpers he already has (namely "Tranzparent" and "Arrogant") and I highly recommend that you do the same. Sky is the limit for this one and this is my Freshman of the Year. Nuff said.

Consumer America

2010-04-06T23:11:00.000-07:00

If the title of this post doesn't make you shiver alone, the astronomical price of Ray Ban glasses should. Are you willing to pay $125 to look like everyone else? No sir not me. I don't even want to know what the profit margin looks like for those shits, but the bruhs at Knockaround are all over this issue. It does not cost $125 to make Ray Bans, and its damn sure not that expensive to find good looking sunglasses. Coming from a blogger's perspective, the folks at Knockaround get it and don't charge you up the ass for a quality pair of glasses in order to make extreme profits. I also think Knockaround looks and sounds way flyer than Ray Ban, so stand out a little and save yourself some dough simultaneously. Please refrain from buying the Tortoise Shells, though because your boy just copped :).

Dueces

2010-04-06T22:57:00.000-07:00

Keep Walking

2010-04-06T22:48:00.000-07:00

Needless to say, there are a myriad of important lessons to be learned from an any spring break, some involving more alcohol and promiscuity than others, but necessary ones nonetheless. Mine happened to be pretty unique and it was nothing what I expected. I think to anyone, an unmapped walk through the San Diego badlands to get to a mythical oasis called the Devil's Punch Bowl sounds like a pretty daunting task; however, an elevated desire to make memories and an O of Mary Jane's flowers will get a group of guys to do some pretty wild shit. I'm not gonna lie, when I set foot on that trail and my boy told me he had no idea where we were going, I wanted to turn back more than anything else (honestly, would you walk through that shit?). I couldn't be happier that I stayed on the path that day.

One place where I thought beauty could never exist turned out to be one of the most scenic hikes I have ever taken part in. Up close, it was very hard to see anything of beauty that caught my attention (other than this big ass plant and Ryan's ridiculous outfit of course), but in the distance, all of the individual entities were consolidated into rolling hills that looked like they were painted for the backdrop of a Clint Eastwood movie. Knowing that we had to walk over or around three of these hills soon became a secondary thought, as I was totally belittled by the scenery around me. I am a city slicker by nature, so this was a departure for me and although at times I was uncertain whether we were over the Mexican boarder or not, I kept walking along.

Now, if you want to know where this place is you're going to have to ask the homie Kyle Bonacum because I have no clue where we started our trek into nothingness, but I highly recommend that you don't cheat and embark on a quest of your own. What we found is one of the most beautiful scenes I have ever taken in, I mean it really deserves a super slow motion, panoramic Planet Earth type shot to really do it justice (but my iPhone shall suffice). I'm sure you can judge for yourself so I won't waste words on description, but the point is to not take a damn thing at face value because there is almost always something better when you dig to the core. If you're anything like me and think about giving up sometimes when you think that whatever you are about to try for isn't worth it, it probably is and perseverance is most often your best alternative. I know what some of you are thinking, but don't be a smart ass and apply what I'm saying to all sorts of arbitrary situations. When you are in doubt however, heed these words and keep fucking grinding and if you don't find your oasis you will undoubtedly discover something beautiful along the way. Oh, and sorry for the wait.

Speaking of N.A.S.A....

2010-01-26T12:38:00.000-08:00

Some of the lyrics from KiD CuDi's "Space Dreams" speak of another dimension- one that may be hard for people to envision if you haven't gobbled up some shrooms or dropped acid, as I'm sure the artist has. This artistic rendition of a "Gifted" by Kanye West, Santogold, and Lykke Li helps us visualize the lyrics of this eerie song in ways that our imagination can't normally stretch. If you have ever seen any other work by the Three Legged Legs, you already know what kind of amazing art they produce and this video that they directed is no exception.

We as critical viewers of media tend to classify music as music and art as art, failing to combine the two into the same genre of art. This video does a superb job of combining the two schools of thought, by creating a very trippy, yet reflective video. This video deserves much more than one watch, as it is very difficult to take everything in, but it is important to do so because the themes and symbolism presented in the video are planted perfectly into the musical context of the piece. All I have to say is the end took me by surprise, and while it may just be me, I can completely relate to how the main character must have felt. If the video is just too much to take in, just be happy that Kanye spits in this song, something I miss terribly. So I hope this video takes you somewhere unique in your thought because I would imagine everyone perceives the various images differently. Thanks to Alon Mark for the heads up on this video.

Be sure to watch the video in full screen HD to catch every crazy detail.

Nasa Music 2: Space Dreams

2010-01-25T22:58:00.000-08:00

With the necessity of caffeine and all of the intriguing things to be discovered on the Internet, I know there are other insomniacs just like me that do nothing but stare at the ceiling when they get into bed. Thankfully, KiD CuDi and the folks at G.O.O.D. Music are constantly trying to coax my insomnia with laid back, dreamy music that's bound to have me drifting off in no time at all.

This new mixtape shows that CuDi's creative gears are still turning and he is still trying to shake off his attachments to mainstream Hip Hop. What he came together with is a tape that conjures up unique emotions and sends my mind into what sometimes feels like, well, a space dream. His approach on this tape feels closer to hypnosis than rap, but with his voice and a little swagger, the mysterious artist makes it work for him in every way. My particular favorite song is "That Girl" and its already beginning to top the charts (at least on my iTunes top 25). There are a few repeats from "Man on the Moon" on the mixtape, thus making it more of an EP type thing, but the new stuff is incredible if you can depart from IYAZ and Jason Derulo for one moment. Thanks for the sleeping medicine CuDi. Dreeeam onnnn.

To listen and download just give the album artwork a click.

Let's Air This Out

2010-01-25T15:08:00.000-08:00

Jeremiah Masoli, Garrett Embry Accused of Robbery by Fraternity Kids : Buster Sports

Okay, so I was thoroughly heated after I read this article by Buster Sports about last weekend's happenings in Eugene. I don't want to focus on the events that transpired (that, as far as I'm concerned are still speculations) as much as I want to highlight the ignorance of this prematurely released article. Considering the amount of shit that was stolen from the SAE house (two computers, a guitar, and a projector), it would be wrongful to criticize the SAE fraternity for reporting theft from their house, even if it was star quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. I don't care if its President Obama walking into my house, but if you're going to steal my MacBook Pro, I'm definitely going to try and take him down.

Also, Buster sports calls out the SAEs as "rich fraternity kids" and if that's not an ignorant generalization that is meant to justify the Ducks Football player's actions, I don't know what is. Being in a fraternity myself, this is utterly offensive as I have brothers that come from all walk of life and sit in various financial stituations, for better or for worse. I commend the SAE fraternity for handling business the only way they knew how.

That said, this whole situation is being blown wayy out of proportion and we as students need to begin to shift our attention to more important incidences. Starting Ducks Football kicker Rob Beard was admitted into the hospital in critical condition the same night as the suspected thievery, but people would rather focus on the idea that Masoli might have stolen something form SAE, even though he's not even a suspect. I think that we need to put Rob in our prayers and begin to talk about who could have nearly killed our starting kicker. I would be totally fine with Darren Thomas running shit next year, after he proved himself in his first collegiate game against Boise State. So let's just let Masoli do what he does and have karma take care of the whole thing. That sounds pretty damn kosher to me. Keep pushing Rob, we love you.

Breakfast With Curren$y

2010-01-25T12:27:00.000-08:00

CURREN$Y - BREAKFAST from Creative Control on Vimeo.

Okay, well its more like brunch now, but I'm still in college and love to sleep in. I always wondered how Curren$y manages to deliver such consistently relaxing music for the people to burn to. This short video offers a little insight into what makes this guy so damn chill. It seems as though a little bit more of Wiz Khalifa has rubbed off on the up and coming artist as his music has taken a 180 degree turn for the best from when he was a Young Money groupie. This is what I woke up to today and now I'm feeling like a million bucks. So if you're stressed out today, just watch this video and imagine what it feels like to wake up as this guy does every day. I see you Spitta.

Forever feat. Lebron James

2010-01-24T20:59:00.000-08:00

I'm just waiting for the mixtape to drop. Honestly, what can't the man do?

The McGangbang 2.0

2010-01-24T20:49:00.001-08:00

We are truly on some next level shit with this one. For those of you who aren't avid fast food eaters, you might have slept on the original McGangbang (a Big Mac with a McChicken in place of the middle bun). The classic has treated us well for a while, but it was time to upgrade to version 2.0. This meant shoving a Spicy Chicken sandwich in the middle of a Double Western Bacon. Obese? Yes, but it's also extraordinarily tasty. If you're hungry at Carl's and feel like trying something new, this is your new favorite meal. Props to TJ for constantly displaying the infinite possibilities at fast food restaurants. Enjoy.

- Posted from my iPhone

Location:E 15th Ave,Eugene,United States

Day 'N Night

2010-01-23T11:03:00.001-08:00

On a very rare, but beautiful day in Eugene, Oregon, my mind always tends to get greedy and want a little more sunshine and warmth than is currently available in the pacific northwest. I usually go straight to thinking about how great it'd be to wake up and walk down the Santa Monica Pier, for instance, but this beauty is unparalleled. Some people tend to shoot down to LA right away to thrive off of it's lively atmosphere, however I percieve Southern California much differently. For me, Los Angeles represents my goals and everywhere I strive to be in life.

With an application to USC staring me in the face, it's hard not to close up shop and leave this bitch behind (the bitch being Eugene), but if I were to head south I would lose myself. There is no doubt that I would get caught up in the superficial lifestyle that the congested city presents to people every day and also lose sight of what I need to accomplish right now.

Above all else, life in Oregon is simple and life revolves around school, rather than the external atmosphere. If I were surrounded by anything else but trees, there would be a lot more on my mind than just school and intrapersonal relationships.

This is why, despite the shitty weather and temptations from my sister, I'm going to see out what I started and strive towards my goal of living in the sunshine and beauty in my birthplace. Until then I will most likely continue to be the most negative person in the State of Oregon as I earn my goals and chase the sun.

- Posted from my iPhone

Location:Ocean Front Walk,Los Angeles,United States

The Long Road Home

2010-01-05T15:58:00.000-08:00

Usually the only thing I expect the drive back to Oregon to be is boring and maybe a little scenic on the right day. Normally I just sit in my car and stare mindlessly at the road ahead, but this time I would have to get out of my car for a little more than gas. The thing that first notified me that I had an epically flat tire was most likely my rim scraping the asphalt- ouch. The smell of burnt rubber and exceptional rumbling of my car definitely solidified my decision. When you pull over on the side of Highway 5 in California or Oregon there are a lot of things that are uncertain, the most concerning being your location, so I had no clue where I was or how long it would take for me to get my tire changed so I could drive to the nearest gas station. I wasn't too beat up over the fact that the road chewed my tire to bits, but rather that we were going to lose so much time on the drive after I had tried so hard to be punctual about our trip, a rarity for me and my friends. I know, Apple should probably be paying me, but I thank the iPhone once again for triangulating my location in the middle of nowhere so people knew where to help me.When the kind folks from AAA (that's triple A for those of you still trying to figure out the abbreviation) showed up, I expected to put on my shitty little spare tire and roll to the nearest gas station to cash out on a real tire; however, BMW proved their reputation in the clutch. When he reached into my spare tire compartment, out popped a slick new tire with a shiny new rim. My jaw dropped as my heart rose because we were only sidelined for about a half-hour.

I would like to send a shout out to BMW for saving the day, well, at least partially. Later that drive I got a speeding ticket (I swear they don't post the speed limit enough) for barely cracking the limit, which kind of ended my 6 hour lucky streak and took me back off my high horse. You live, you might learn, but you'll always have the memories. Maybe I'll have better luck on the next road trip. Portland? Vancouver? San Diego? You never know, but I'll certainly let you know if my car fucks up again.

Twenty Ten

2010-01-01T18:07:00.001-08:00

One thing you'll learn about me is that I love planning to have no plans. I thrive on spontanaity and all of the the ridiculous memories that always transpire. While it certainly won't help me for very long, I am having a damn good time doing it right now.

This is exactly what happened when me and wingman Dave decided to pack our bags and head to LA to kick off the new year. I was surprised when I had one of my best New Years Eves of my life. Just ask Dave how ridiculous the night was.. Apart from a pair of hangovers, we also figured out our resolutions for 2010: never drink hard alcohol again. Seriously. The shit just messes you up, nuff said. Being a college student it might be a tiny bit overly ambitious, but I'll try my best. I hope you have better luck holding true to your resolution and if you haven't made one yet, what the hell are you doing?

After the confetti cleared I had some time to take last year in retrospect and plan (I know I said I don't like to plan, but it's tentative so hush) how I want to approach the year ahead. It's going to be a totally different mindset for me as I try to fill some of my room for improvement. I have big moves planned for 2010 and if we only have two more years to live I plan to keep going hard. That includes blogging hard so keep reading. Anyways, here's to the ridiculous memories, people, and places that made 2009 . Happy New Years from TFD.

- Posted from my iPhone

Location:Betton Way,Topanga,United States

Old Friends

2009-12-30T21:11:00.000-08:00

I'm just glad Kobe was able to keep it together and laugh this one off. Thanks to Ronny Turiaf for poviding Golden State with a silver lining to last night's blown upset. This is why we still love you Warriors.

Now That's Pimpin'

2009-12-30T14:29:00.000-08:00

"If a ho don't have no instruction, she's gonna be headed for self-destruction, nam sayin?." - Kenny Red (American Pimp)

I'm not going to lie, when I saw the title "American Pimp" on my TV screen I thought I was in for some hilarious Katt Williams stand up routine that I would eventually fall asleep watching- god was I wrong. I still got to see a pimp, in fact, I got to see a bunch of pimps and ended up staying up for another hour and a half. "American Pimp" is a relatively old documentary that focuses on pimps in and before the 1990's. It might sound kind of cliché, but those were the days when pimpin' was pimpin'. Seriously. I expected the movie to show all the crude ins and outs of an apparently corrupt industry; however, I was left with my mind blown wide open actually feeling good about the whole thing.

Pimps weren't always gun toting drug dealers who trafficked girls on craigslist. Back in the days of Curtis Mayfield, pimps were shockingly scrupulous and took good care of there girls without guns or addicting them to drugs. The pimping profession was treated like any other career; the macks dressed up in fly suits every day and took care in everything they did. Pimps were idolized and respected for getting girls out of desperate situations. What really surprised me in this movie was the caring relationship between pimps and hos. The girls loved their man even though they were just dollar signs to a pimp. This chemistry is something you have to witness to conceive, which is why I highly recommend watching this movie.

Apart form a pretty sick cameo by Too Short the movie does a great job of changing your perception of pimps and reminiscing on what the game used to be like. It seems as though everything was just purer and more honest back in the day. You can form your own impressions from the movie, but now I figure pimpin' really wasn't that bad back in the day and it damn sure wasn't easy. If you are too lazy to rent it somewhere, all nine parts should be on YouTube. Enjoy.

A Young King

2009-12-30T10:53:00.000-08:00

Don't be alarmed that this post is consise. There will be many, many more Lebron posts to come on TFD because ya boy is a devout Bron Bron supporter. That said, I would like to wish Lebron James a happy 25th birthday. At such a young age he has already accomplished so much (he is almost at 14,000 career points already- that's absurd). I have no doubt that he will continue to make waves in the league for at least another decade an I'm anxious to catch all of the action. So while many of you are busy criticising his amazing jumpshot, I would like to take this time to say Happy birthday to the King. Watch Lebron tonight against the Atlanta Hawks.

- Posted from my iPhone

Location:Longridge Rd,Oakland,United States

iWant One

2009-12-29T23:37:00.000-08:00

Like many of you, I am embarrassingly addicted to my iPhone. Just this week I traded in my month-old Blackberry just so I could revert to my old Apple ways. It's bad enough as it is on AT&T and other phones just can't do it for me. So what could be better and make more waves than the iPhone (I have recently discovered the answer is not a Blackberry)? A big ass iPhone, of course! Apple is at it again and they have their first big ass iPhone, I mean, tablet computer in the works. It is going to be called the iSlate and it is rumored to drop next month at Apple's scheduled convention. While the pictures are not final, it sure looks like the most interesting thing from apple that we've seen since the debut of the MacBook Air. Good to know and scary to think about the fact that technological boundaries are always being pushed to their limit. Looks like another win for Steve and I now know what my New Years wish is going to be...

Setting the Tone

2009-12-29T22:55:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the University of Oregon. On your first walk through campus you will be left saying, "Man, that looks nice." Well rest assured, it is very nice. But is it worth over $36,000 annually to stay here? What if somebody told you to take this money and educate yourself and buy what you need along the way; what would you get? These are burning (and extremely entertaining) questions that I ask myself in the back of overcrowded lecture halls, wishing I was somewhere that has a drop of sunshine to offer.

Today, some of us are willing to spend more on college tuition than others make annually. Is it really worth it? Finally I have a blog where my bias can take over and I can answer wholeheartedly: hell no. I am confident that today's "liberal" education misses a lot of the things that are important to giving things meaning, helping us think critically, and defining us as human beings. This blog consists of things that might not be found in the classroom, but influence us in different ways nonetheless. By scouring the web and pillaging cities with my iPhone, I hope to fill in some of the loopholes that formal educational means leave untied. If you're with me, lets do the damn thing, and if you're not, please put your head back in your textbook. That's all.