First Post!

Welcome to Hurricane Eddie's Never-Ending Math Equation

Howdy folks. After a few years as a casual observer of online media I've decided to join the fracas and establish my own presence here on the ol' internets. And now that I'm moving to the Big Apple, what more chic way to spend my time than by submitting my own disenchanted comments about the state of the world? Right?

OK time for the basic lowdown. My main interests as it pertains to this blog are (in no order):
1-Music
2-Science
3-Juggling

1. Music
I am an avid consumer and appreciater of music. My girlfriend calls me a music snob and she is right. Not only do I like listening, but I also like to keep tabs on current trends in new music, frequently exposing myself to new artists, and learning about musical history/influences. Thus, the main purpose of this blog, as I envision it, is to be an outlet for sharing my musings about any music I've been listening to lately and maybe (if I'm lucky) to generate some discussion on the subject.

I'm not going to make any forced attempts to keep up with the breakneck pace of the music blog world. I'll keep my own pace, taking in new music as I am able, even if my own posts are too outdated for the majority of scenesters. I'm not sure how anyone has enough time to properly invest in every piece of new music anyways. I guess I'm mainly interested in determining lasting value - forming opinions only after repeated listens to a song/album. After all, isn't the point of life to attain nirvana via the perfect record collection (read: iTunes music library)? It's certainly not about sifting through the recycle bin of current trends.

Also, I will try to avoid annoying jargon, and obscure references without explaining them. A lot of blogs out there are rather insular and have a steep learning curve unless your already tapped into that particular scene. Instead, I'll make every effort for this to be the people's music blog. I'm not here to appease snarky hipsters. Though I do fancy myself some good snark and try to maintain some sliver of hipster street cred from time to time.

Anyways, my main hope is merely to extend the musical catolog of friends, family and any stray passersby. After many failed attempts, I've come to the realization that you can't suddenly turn someone on to a new recording artist. It is a slow process that can only build upon expierences of one's previous listening history. Some people get frustrated that certain artists don't get the attention they deserve, or think that the public would surely like them if they did get attention. I used to get mad at people not appreciating what I considered great music, but that is foolish since not only do people's preferences vary, but so do their personal experiences and openness to new styles of music. So for now I guess I have no problem if you want to listen to Nickelback all day. That certainly wouldn't be my choice but then again, it's not my business to tell people what to like. Meanwhile, I encourage you to give something mentioned here a whirl and you could be pleasantly surprised.

2. Science

To quote Bill Nye, "Science Rules." I put a chart of major science discoveries up on the bathroom wall next to the toilet and it has kept my roommates and I entertained for the whole year.

More importantly science is the crucial link for our understanding of the natural world. One issue in particular that I care deeply about is global climate change and the science behind understanding how man is impacting the complex earth system.

3. Juggling
Well, OK I really don't intend to blog about this, but it is fun to do. My current goal is to juggle 5 balls by this summer.


So, keeping in line with the title:
New Blog = (Music)*x + (Science)*y + (Other fun stuff)

BTW the title (which I may change if I think of something better), was snagged from a pretty excellent Modest Mouse song by the same name off of their old B-sides collection, Building Nothing Out of Something. I picked it because MM were one of the first college rock*(see below) bands I really got into. Senior year of high school I listened to Lonesome Crowded West and The Moon and Antarctica pretty much non-stop. I realize MM has been getting lots of attention lately from their new album We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank which debuted top of the Billboard charts and features Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr. I got the new disc last week but the jury is still out on it. First impressions: I don't think it measures up to LCW or M&A, but still has a few solid tracks like "Fire It Up" and the new single "Dashboard." James Mercer (from the Shins) has a harmony on "Florida" that is pretty catchy too. If anyone likes their recent stuff, I highly recommend those older CDs. They had a pretty different style back then, a lot rougher around the edges which is both good and bad, but the melodies and lyrics were top notch.



Woo! Check out the embedded song! Am I blogger pro or what?! Let's try another:



*I just decided to start a personal campaign to revert all references to "indie rock" back to "college rock" a much more appropriate genre label IMHO.