THURSDAY JANUARY 31, 2013
PAGE 7A
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opinion
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One of the hardest things in life a guy can do is apply Chapstick.
I got to class a half hour early so I could continue working on the KU dog sweater I'm knitting.
Pegasuses are the least intimidating things ever.
It's cold enough I sought refuge in the underground. THE, UNDERGROUND.
You know you have a calf problem when your boyfriend has to help you put on your boots.
Today I learned yoga pants can withstand wind, rain and snow.
Isn't the twitter squirrels of KU a chick?
I don't wear frat-wear just to look good. I do it to keep the GDIs away.
A girl in my class said she doesn't really follow KU basketball. Everyone looked at her in horror, and I had the urge to yell "she doesn't even go here!"
I've seen basketball players in real life... Didn't flip out. Felt inadequate as a completely unathletic (and short) man, but didn't flip out.
Random comment on Kansas' crazy weather.
Shout out to Barack for tackling immigration reform. It's about time to truly start the conversation.
I'm listening to music and the voices in my head are doing karaoke. I'm not sure weather to be laughing or disturbed
Winter, go home, you're sober.
I wish I lived in the 1800s...Oh sorry boss, I didn't make it to work on time because the alarm clock hasn't been invented vet.
Just saw an obese squirrel dragging a bag of Doritos...'MERICA!
Chickadachina the Chinese chicken,
have a drumstick and your brain starts,
tickin' watching x-files with the lights
on, mumble dumble sjhsejdhajndfh
Art museums are like the old school versions of Google image.
Are balloons shaped like upside down tears when they are released into the sky because they are sad to leave the earth?
SOCIETY
If a sorority girl is in the woods and no one is around to see her, does she still wear boots, leggings, and a huge sweatshirt?
Already hearing talk about valentines day plans. Me, myself, and I are gonna mock and pig out on chocolate. Best plans ever!
I sing home of the chiefs at games because its too hard to take this country seriously nowadays.
Everything I ate at Mrs. E's last night had absolutely no flavor. I now call it Mrs. BlandE.'s.
Prejudice still a problem in Kansas
I was in the bathroom at Watson Library last semester when I looked over to find racial profanities written on the stall. I don't remember what they said. I see them so often cowardly etched into the wall with sharpe that I've started to tune them out for the most part.
Similarly, I found anti-Semitic remarks tagged on the wall in the bathroom of Wescoe last week. This is at the University of Kansas, one of the most highly regarded, culturally diverse institutions in the Midwest. Doesn't that seem a little bit pathetic?
Black History Month is knocking on the door and I'm reminded of the days spent in school learning about the terrible struggle that black citizens had to face in order to be treated equally. We learned about Harriet Tubman's 13 trips to liberate Black Americans and Dred Scott's Supreme Court Lawsuits to be considered a free citizen.
Every year, we listened to Dr. Martin Luther King. It's dream of living in a world where blacks and whites would live together peacefully. Lo and behold, we're on the very brink of that dream being completely realized. In fact, I have found that within the millennial generation there is very little racial animosity.
However, there are those who would not share this dream. There are those who to this very day, in the year 2013, still insist on perpetuating an absurd, demoralizing, and disgusting way of life in which they feel somehow superior to someone because they are different. These hateful people have no place in the 21st century.
I'm not an authority on the subject and I'm certainly not perfect, but racism just puts a bad taste in my mouth—not just racism, any kind of discrimination aimed at somebody for no reason other than the fact that
they have different skin, beliefs,
or customs than you disturbs
me. I think this is because it
reminds me of the world's deeply
unsettling history.
Black History Month represents something different for a lot of people. For some it is to pay respects to family members who had to fight for freedom. For me it's a time to remember the heroes who shifted the world we live in for the better. This was a radical movement carried out to be treated with respect and it changed the entire game.
The Civil Rights Movement represents a time of great change
when tolerance became demanded and anything else became ignorant. It has led to a fundamental restructuring of our society where now no race, gender, sexual orientation, or religion is lesser. To me, Black History Month is for paying respects to the people and movements that led to us finally standing behind the notion that all people are created equal.
Today, the belief is simple: If you prejudge somebody, you're ignorant. That's not to say we're all about to hold hands and sing, but at least now, everyone has an equal opportunity to earn respect or earn disrespect. There are few faster ways to earn disrespect than by writing something like "hail Hitler" on a bathroom stall.
Racism and discrimination are still American problems, manifested today when a lot of people discuss Mexican immigrants or express a fear of Muslims. Even
if it's not an immediate problem for you, it's a problem in our proximity and its negative effects resonate throughout our culture. I do however think it's safe to say we're headed the right direction.
If you've ever been discriminated against, for whatever reason, then let me apologize. You never deserved it. To the persons who perpetuate discrimination: it's OK; keep your head down. We don't know who you are. But I hope wherever you're sitting, that you dislike me. I hope you find my words grating as nails on a chalkboard. Because, the truth is, you make me sick.
Here's to the month of February, where we celebrate our cultural diversity and our equality.
Bartocci is a journalism major with a minor in film from Olathe.
TELEVISION
'Avengers' character finds new life in television series
No need to fret Avengers fans; Agent Phil Coulson (aka I-watched Captain-America-while-he-slept) lives. It was confirmed at the New York Comic Con that Clark Gregg would continue playing Agent Phil Coulson in ABC's "S.H.E.L.D" TV pilot.
The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division (SHIELD), run by my spirit animal Nick Fury, works to protect the earth from human and not-so human enemies.
Gregg has played Coulson in several movies, including "Thor," "Iron Man," "Iron Man 2" and several Marvel films.
What makes this news even sweeter is the show isn't just a compilation of flashbacks. No, according to Collider.com, ABC Entertainment President Paul Lee announced the show will occur after the events of "The Avengers."
Spoiler alert, guys, Coulson supposedly "died" when Loki stabbed him with his stick of
Which means our boy Phil is alive. Whether he's brought back as a resurrected human or an incorporeal being (or maybe he was never dead at all) this show ensures plenty of Coulson love. Halleluiah.
doom. His death helped unite the team of superheroes to fight off hordes of aliens and a God of Mischief. I never thought I would cry in the middle of an action-packed superhero movie, but when Nick Fury held out the blood soaked Captain American trading cards Coulson had wanted Steve Rogers to sign, well, I won't lie, there were tears. Lots of them.
I fell in love with Coulson in "Iron Man 2." At one point, he threatens to taze Tony Stark and watch "Supernanny" if he tried to leave the house. His dry humor and professionalism in the wake of treacherous gods and egomaniac superheroes makes him worthy of his own show. His snazzy black suits aren't too bad either.
I'd hoped his death was a hoax devised by Nick Fury to get the team to work together. When it was revealed that the trading
cards had been in Phil's locker, not in the pocket of the suit he died in like Fury said, I knew there was a chance to get our boy back.
And I wasn't the only one.
Twitter broke out the #Coulsonlives hashtag, and bloggers dedicated entire Tumbels to the idea that Agent Phil Coulson would return alive and well. Everyone wanted the snarky and Captain America obsessed SHIELD agent to survive, and our desire has finally been heard.
Filming for the pilot will begin this month, and with Marvel's "The Avengers" Director Joss Whedon as its producer and co-writer, its bound to be a hit.
Whedon was also responsible for the TV series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and to put it simply, he is a talented writer. It also ensures the TV series will follow and mesh with all of the other Marvel movies. Or at least, provide add-on material.
I can't wait for the pure awesomeness this show is bound to be. And if the producers can manage to get Samuel L. Jackson to cameo as Nick Fury, then I can die in nerdy superhero peace.
Brown is a journalism major from Overland Park.
CAMPUS CHIRPS BACK
NIGHTLIFE
Study the music before the show
The Lawrence music scene boasts a plethora of musical talent. And because of this, it's not difficult to find an affordable and engaging live show around town every night of the week.
Personally, I'm into live shows that reach me on an intellectual level in some capacity, and to get there I feel it's a wise move to, for lack of a better term, "study" some of the music you'll be listening to before the show. Whether it's the lyrics in a particular song that I connect with or the entrancing guitar riffs in a slower tune, the vibe from album recording to live show is pretty consistent as an everyday music listener.
I'll give you a perfect example of what I'm talking about; I was at Jazzhaus last Friday night to see local group Pink Royal perform. Having only listened to their album for only a few weeks prior to the live show, I became instantly drawn in by the riffs on two tracks in particular, "So Long (Farewell)" and "January." It's these hidden treasures in music that keep me coming back for more. The ambiance of the Pink Royal can't be overstated, and their live show was a big "thumbs up" from this guy.
My experience at Bassnectar last fall at Burcham Park also carries with it fond memories of musical connection. Granted the lasers and a very sophisticated light show presented a formidable stage for both Bassnectar and electro-sensation group Ghostland Observatory, the real musical embrace came before-hand when I was well aware of what each group was bringing musically to the table in some facet. Although, quite frankly, I don't think I could adequately describe some of Bassnectar's work that night; it was "masterful" if I had to sum it up in one
word.
I feel that since I put in a little time prior to Pink Royal's live performance, I should be rewarded with an equally sufficient live show in return. Think about it: if I hear about the show through a friend, decide I'd rather do something else that night and never get to hear Pink Royal's lead vocalist David Guthrie and his "Dave Matthews-like" vocals, that's a pretty big fail on my behalf.
In any event, I can honestly say that roaming around Lawrence a few times a week without any kind of idea who's playing where will work. You'll meet lots of different kinds of people and enjoy yourself thoroughly. But those that want to take it a step further and find out about the local bands they're going to listen to live will find that they're attending more shows to their general musical interest.
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Now this isn't a suggestion to strictly listen to a group before attending a local live show. Far from it, actually. My only point is having listened to a few tracks before heading to a show can only enhance that experience. I know lots of people that get by with just attending live shows of groups they've never heard, and it works for them. But do you miss out on other shows taking place that same night that could have been a better musical fit?
Roque is a senior majoring in journalism from Overland Park.
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