Thought Zach would be kind of into this news
as always, neglecting to drown: Umm...

wrenslastlaugh:

So I watched the pilot of Glee about a year and a half ago, after hearing all the buzz about it. I thought it was stupid. Whatever. Since then, as everyone knows, it’s blown up. PEOPLE ARE SO INTO GLEE. Didn’t it win a bunch of Emmys? Or something? Sure, it’s on Fox, but so was Arrested…

Ever read the Theory of 3 Glees? Glee is a tri-polar show because its 3 creators still haven’t figured out the correct direction to take it. One (huge) aspect of the show is the bombast, bright colors and just gaudy music shit. Unfortunately, that’s the Glee that the masses love, the kind of millions of people who vote for American Idol.

But, if you’ve seen more than 2 episodes, you would also know that Glee also has an almost inhumanely sad side to it. Think of the main character, that teacher dude (I forget his name at the moment, also because I don’t care). He is a former Glee club star in high school, thought he could make it big, and is now stuck teaching high school in the small town where he grew up. How can these kids truly escape from their podunk town when their mentor couldn’t even do it? One of the only images I really remember from the show was where one character, directly after performing one of those nice little musical numbers the show loves to do, is shown sadly eating a tv dinner with his single-parent mother and sister in front of the television. It’s punchy, short, and incredibly evocative and real. Glee’s message is hardly like High School Musical’s feel-goodery and dream-achieveyness. In fact, I would argue that some of it is the exact opposite. 

I’m not saying Glee is a great show. I haven’t seen it since the Joss Whedon episode. Sure it indulges often with garbage like Madonna, Brittany Spears, and Gaga episodes. But deep (way deep) down, Glee’s emotional realism would put the show way above warranting two awful’s in its description.

Writers block fucking blows. I’m staring at the first word of an article with no idea what phrase goes next or where exactly the argument is in my head. 

I figure getting a couple words out somewhere would really help get the flow going. Thus, I’m bringin’ it back y’all.

On Procrastination Part Duex

The thing about procrastination is everything always works out in the end.

“Feelings”

I’ve become increasingly aware of my “feelings” whilst listening to music since my run in with Angel Deradoorian and “Two Doves.” Like Girl Talk once said, “as long as music makes you feel, it’s good music.” Or something to that degree, I don’t remember the exact quote.

But is wanting to groove a feeling though? Like a feeling that is on par to love or anger. Sure “Huddle Formation” makes me want to dance, but “You Can Make Him Like You” makes me feel young and stupid. Feelings. Ugh.

Space Geekery + Felicia Day + Sean Astin = Badass

On Procrastination

I have a theory about procrastination. This may be an idea that Merlin Mann broached in his last video podcast about productivity, but I swear I hadn’t seen it yet.

Procrastination, at least for me, comes from uncertainty about the future. The one step that needs to be taken is terrifying because you don’t understand the final product of this action. I know that general studying and knowledge and homework-doing is good for my GPA and my Degree, but what’s after that? Grad School for Economics? Writing? If I knew this one step worked toward a goal, I would be more inclined to do it.

I also have another theory, but one that really only applies to me. I procrastinate, usually by watching shows about tech, TV shows, or refreshing the AV Club, because I feel that it satiates my pop culture obsession. Do I just want to be a pop culture savant or something? Watching most episodes South Park (as much as the show is about pop culture, some of the episodes are just hilarious nonsense) really doesn’t help that though. Actually, an idea just popped into my head.

Off to watch The Simpsons.

Symbolic Logic

I’ve been meaning to write about my Wednesday Games and Strategic behavior class for a while now, but with the sickness and whatnot, it just hasn’t come out. But something shocked me to my core that day, something that will change my knowledge of mathematics and numbers forever.

Did you know that numbers/symbols can actually be used as words? Not just like the word “one” or “theta,” but actual words in sentences with true meaning.

In the last five minutes of class, the professor popped out this utility equation:

U=ΘX-C(X)+αG+β(~Θ)

U is total utility or total benefit.

Θ is the multiplier a person gets when contributing X amount, depending on his or her beliefs on charity and whatnot.

C is the cost of giving X amount

αG is the public good, what the public receives from this exchange, which is factored into total utility.

β is a multiplier equivalent to how important public perception of you is (like if you’re super concerned with what people think of you).

(~Θ) is the actual public perception of how you believe (notice it’s isn’t exactly the same as Θ.

Bam, you have the equation for an entire personalities of people in regards to their charity preferences.