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(02/23/11 9:00pm)
In Egypt, Mr. Mubarak finally stepped down, leaving control to the Military, which promises a speedy transition to democracy. After 30 years of silence, 18 days of noise leaves Egypt in 6 months of transition. Transition to what, however, we are unsure. All we know is that the people of Egypt want democracy. In about six months, we’ll see what they get. Mubarak removed himself from Egyptian government, meeting the most heavily voiced demand of the demonstrators: to remove Mubarak from power. The supposedly corrupt Parliament was then dismantled as well. Now the military is in charge, and I can’t help but believe that the new government will be structured in such a way as to benefit the military cause. The Egyptian military has long been an imposing power on the country’s government. It was the foundation of the old regime and it did benefit from Mubarak’s stint as ruler. As Egypt is vulnerable at the moment, the military may seize the opportunity to build a government that benefits itself, not the people. What the people will get dwindles down to what the senior commanders want from this new order. The military is ruled from the top down. Leaders don’t ask subordinates what they think of orders; orders are expected to be followed. This approach bled over into the big reveal of the Military’s plan for government reform. When the Military devised plan was announced, it was not propositioned, but ordered. Mandated. It is this plan that will guide the transition: The Military – not the people – selected a committee of eight political figures to adjust the Egyptian constitution. The committee has been given only a hurried ten days to allow for democracy in government. Ten days to change the way a nation is governed. The changes will then be brought before a referendum and voted on within two months of its completion. I fear that such a hurried change is going to be incomplete, but more-so, I fear that the resulting government will be merely a puppet controlled by the military. Generals promise to hand over power to an elected President and parliament by August, but by allowing the military to overlook said democratic changes, I feel that the new order will see the military as a powerful, controlling force: casting an imposing shadow on the government that it created. We cannot allow the military as much power as it will most likely attempt to gain. The still-in-tact state of emergency comes as a warning sign to me. It seems the military is afraid of revolt, thus keeping the laws as a back-up plan if things turn awry. This brings to question whether the military is truly dedicated to giving people democracy. Beyond doubts of the military’s ability to support democratic movement are the fears of a terrorist uprising in Egypt. The Muslim Brotherhood has announced its plans to be a political party in the upcoming government. Though at the moment the Brotherhood does not plan on a presidential candidate, their presence alone is enough to cause worry. Their influence could send Egypt in a disastrous direction. Egypt’s political condition has become suspect. With the obvious power of the collective people, it seems each and every group is doing its best to gain the people’s trust. The next six months may bring an election, but over the course of the next few years, I see power being tossed from hand to hand. Whoever gains the people, gains the power. With everyone vying for the people’s trust, it is vital that we, America as a whole, act as a guiding hand to help Egypt in the right direction. Top of the agenda: Fundamental rights of the people. ‘State of emergency’ should never be an option within government. There will be no democratic progress if government is allowed to superimpose its will on the people it governs. Six months is a short amount of time, but if 18 days is any indication, then the people of Egypt are headed in the right direction. Let’s just hope that the rest of the country is on board, as well. Comments on this opinion can be sent to kbsmith.sav@gmail.com
(02/23/11 9:00pm)
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was one of the most vexing, indulgent, awesome films I’ve ever seen. It was “an epic of epic epicness”, as the tagline goes. That being said, I know I am not the only one that wishes that Sex Bob-omb, the supposedly ‘terrible’ band of Pilgrim’s, was actually a real band.
So for your benefit (and my curiosity), I’ve done a little research to bring you guys a list of bands that somewhat, to-an-extent, almost sound as cool as Sex Bob-omb. Without further ado, here it is.
Beck. The music for the band in the film was written by Beck. In the comic book, the band is supposed to be awful. So, Beck was called on to write music that wasn’t very good. For Beck’s case, however, being asked to write bad music is like asking the sun not to be so bright.
Thus, we have these incredibly well done songs that sound like they came off an early Beck album: appropriate considering he wrote them. Surprisingly enough, each of the songs were actually performed by the actors in the movie – believe it or not.
I recommend checking out “Minus” off of Beck’s Odelay album, just to start you off.
Guitar Wolf. and Times New Viking. Beck didn’t start something totally new when he wrote these songs for Scott Pilgrim, he just expanded on the massive base of lo-fi, hardcore, psychedelic, indie garage rock that was already in place. He chose these two bands in particular as his inspiration.
The similarities are pretty obvious, especially since both bands drip with feverish adrenaline and diseased testosterone. I’d say check out Guitar Wolf if you want to be somewhat able to comprehend what is going on. And if you just want noise that beats your ears like a war machine with a battering ram in hand, then Times New Viking is for you.
Try out “Jet Generation” by Guitar Wolf, and if you think your speakers (read: your brain) can handle it, “Drop Out” is probably the best place to start with Times New Viking; that is, it’s the most comprehensible song.
Coachwhips. After some deep digging into the realm of music, I discovered this little chicken McNugget of golden musical goodness. Believe you me, this band is not for the faint-hearted. Leave your morals at the door because the lyrics hit on some hard subjects; just check out their album names, for example.
Faint of heart aside, these guys rock. Hard. Best of all, their sound is nearly identical to the Sex Bob-ombs. I must give you fair warning, just a few minutes of “Evil Son” and “Extinguish Me” might just rip your face off, and I mean that in the most positive way possible.
Darlings. To back the track up a bit, I’m going to recommend the Darlings. These guys still rock, but not quite as angrily as everyone else. It’s a bit of a surf sound, with some hints of pop. Their lyrics bring a smile to my face: a song titled “TV” is a love song to the television, “TV, feeling really far away, give me somewhere to be right now.”
The Darlings are probably the best suited band for a wide audience. Their music isn’t nearly as abrasive as the previously mentioned bands, and it’s quite catchy, too. I think “TV” off the Yeah I Know album is a good starting point.
Turbo Fruits. Let’s just say I love this band name. If anything, the band name is worth giving these guys a listen. It’s only better when you discover how great they actually are. How do I describe their intensity? Let’s say, if Coachwhips is a 10 and the Darlings is a 1, then Turbo Fruits would be a 5.
They aren’t as bloodthirsty, or quite as in-your-face as the Sex Bob-ombs, but they provide a healthy substitute that won’t leave you feeling as though you’ve been bullied at the end of each song. Check out “Want Some Mo’” off the Echo Kid album.
Nobunny. This is one weird guy. He wears a bunny mask for the extent of each concert, and he plays a wide, wide variety of music. He also strips down to tighty whities during his live shows. Either he has a great sense of humor, or… yeah.
I will be perfectly content with keeping his music on my playlist and never seeing a live show. His lyrics can be a bit out of the ordinary (what did you expect?), but the heart and the spirit are there. They are there somewhere deep beneath the tight underwear and the bunny mask.
If that sort of thing entertains you, then by all means see him live. If you’re normal like me, then check out “Someone Else’s Brain” and “Boneyard.”
Tyvek. Last, but certainly not least, is Tyvek. It’s the madness that I love; the guitar sounds decidedly furious and the vocals are nothing short of strained harshness. Lo-fi as it comes, these guys bring unbridled fury.
It’s hard to pick one song. I would just as well recommend the whole Nothing Fits album as point out a song. But, to make it easier on you, I’ll say check out “Underwater 2” and “Potato.”
That’s the list that I have for you. If that doesn’t satisfy your lust for that Scott Pilgrim sound, then check out the following bands: White Stripes, Eagles of Death Metal, Black Time, the Okmoniks, the Spits, the Intelligence, Black Lips, Urinals, King Khan & BBQ Show, the Golden Triangle, Jemina Pearl, Ty Segall, and Stnnng. Happy listening.
(02/21/11 3:38am)
The perfect game is a novelty, happening on average about once every three to four years. In 2010, however, we saw the stars align to produce two perfect games (three, if you count Armando’s gem). In total, we also saw six no-hitters pitched and witnessed some of the best pitching stats since the 1992 season. The “Year of the Pitcher,” they’re calling it, and the Year of the Pitcher it was. But it’s not over—there’s more to come in 2011.
Within 20 days of each other, Roy Halladay and Dallas Braden carved their names into baseball history. Braden tossed his perfect game for Oakland on May 9, 2010. Halladay was hot on his heels dropping his perfect game on May 29. Armando Galarraga’s [sorta] perfect game would occur just a few days later, on June 2. All within 30 days of each other—what a month in baseball!
All this came after Buehrle hurled his perfect game in 2009, giving us four perfect games in just two short years. Before Buehrle’s gem, the last perfect game recorded had been in 2004 when Randy Johnson solidified his hall of fame career with the elusive feat.
Barring the perfect games, major league pitchers accumulated their best statistics since 1992, punching out an earned run average (ERA) of 4.08 per game, which is not only the lowest cumulative ERA since 1992, but is also .47 points lower than the average ERA over the last two decades. This trend continues in each category with each individual statistic being the best in recent years.
Just because 1992’s statistical output was impressive, however, does not make it an overall better year. After all, 1992 produced just one no-hitter and no perfect games, whereas 2010 gave us six no-no’s and two (arguably three) perfect games.
Another fact worth noting is the number of home runs (HR) per game for each season. In the 1992 and 1993 seasons, pitchers averaged well below 1 HR per game, while the average for 1994 broke above that marker, hitting 1.03. This number would gradually rise until it hit its peak in 2000, at 1.17 HR per game. Then, in 2006, the number began to decline. In 2010, the HR per game average dropped down below one to .95, the lowest average since 1993.
Ironically, the rise and decline of home runs per game mirrors the introduction and rise/fall of steroids in baseball. Before 1994, it was not odd to see ERA down in the three-point range with HR per game limited to a maximum of .75 each season. Were there steroids in baseball before 1994? Of course. Were steroids as prominent as they have lately become? Not even close.
I’m not giving pitchers an excuse, but it’s difficult to do well when you’re pitching against a lineup of superhuman batters. Do not misinterpret me: steroids don’t produce good hitters, but they do turn a routine such as a lazy line drive at the shortstop into a base hit over the shortstop’s head into left center. Baseball is a game of inches, and steroids provide just that.
With the decline of steroids in baseball and Bud Selig’s attempt to castrate them completely from the sport, I suspect we’ll see many more “Years of the Pitcher.” After all, when these tremendous athletes have become accustomed to pitching to monstrosities that punish their every mistake, it becomes a different game when that pressure for perfection is relieved, if only slightly.
I don’t expect three perfect games every season from here on out, but I believe the days of the 60 and 70 home run seasons are fading fast into history. I’ll miss the home runs, but I welcome the low-scoring, gut-wrenching hardball that will take their place. Here’s to the “Year of the Pitcher” and to the many more to come.
(02/09/11 3:15am)
It’s pretty often that we Americans are unsatisfied with our government, especially our president. It seems we’re always finding fault in our appointed leader’s actions and offering our advice as part of the solution. This is the loyal opposition: let’s be unsatisfied enough to become angry, but too satisfied to riot. For a long time, this has been the strength of democracy.
It must be a government fueled by people who desire to make it better. But nowadays, things are different. How so, you ask? Partly because our voices have been quieted by an overpowered Congress, and partly because we are simply too uninterested and unconcerned to make any noise in the first place.
Maybe that’s the problem with Americans: we’re too satisfied with the way we live to care about our government. I feel that part of this is the federal power imposed on us. We’re each just one voice drowned in 300 million voices. We take up a lax attitude, thinking we’re better off without dirtying our hands with politics.
However, with devolution (the increase in power of the states) we become much louder, a voice among only a few thousand. Then our participation means much more. We’re much more readily heard. But this devolution won’t ever happen if we’re too wrapped up in the supremacy and the necessity of a federal government making our decisions for us. It seems we’d rather go on being instructed instead of instructing.
Now I know you’re probably thinking, “So we have little influence, big deal.” Well, that’s exactly the point that I’m making. We don’t care. We’ve been reduced to white noise because we’re too stupid to articulate our thoughts. I don’t want to be close to government. I don’t want to make decisions. All we need is a little coaxing and we’re sold. Obama did just that. He appealed to the uneducated and the youthful with his campaign: appearing on Rolling Stone and MTV and making his image up to be some celebrity icon.
Many voted for him only because he’s Obama and were convinced he is a great man: a legend of his time. A rock star. By electing Obama, we elected a man who told us what we wanted to hear and then did what we didn’t want him to do … but we don’t seem to care. He’s a genius because he knew we would not retaliate.
We should be protesting. We should be yelling in the streets, campaigning for new laws, pulling up the roots of his administration—but we aren’t. We’d rather make empty threats and accept our mistake. Let’s wait until the next election … Well, it’s not much of a democracy when you only vote once every four years.
We are not a loyal opposition at all; we’re just slaves to the system, detrimentally loyal. As I mentioned before, democracy must be a government fueled by people who desire to make it better, but we don’t wish to make it better. We don’t wish to make it worse. I just want my job to stay the same. I just want my life to be unaffected by the actions of Congress.
Let Congress handle it, I’m too busy. It’s pathetic, apathetic, mindless obedience. When will we raise our voices in protest? When will we riot in the streets and demand the change we were promised? Hopefully soon. Total opposition is better than total loyalty.
Comments on this opinion can be sent to kbsmith.sav@gmail.com.