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[15 Dec 2008|12:23pm] |
dear santa,
this year i think christmas is going to be exceptionally different. it's my last year in college and, because of post-grad travel plans, will not likely be in anaheim next year. let's try to spice things up a little, eh? my mom really wants a digital camera- i know she has proven herself technologically impaired, but i can give her a tutorial while in town. my dad really needs a new fishing knife- the one he has is about 10 years old and i think it has AIDS. i don't think he'll need a tutorial though. Connor has been boarding up a storm this season, i think all he wants is to get dumped on. tyler has been living the high school dream, with a girlfriend 2 years older (..?), and has made the varsity water polo team. just give him the commitment and strength needed to get through the rigors of teenage emotional drama. as for me, i am content. actually, more than content. i have been living life through every interaction independent of another. this helps me treat others in a way that i see best fit for them, without having to put them in relation to other people or events. having said, i want nothing other than the health and happiness of my family and friends. i hope that i have made the 'nice' list and so you can give me what i want and already have. i'll be sure to leave out some fresh cookies. how's chocolate chip?
little gary
PS a voice recorder might be a good gift, if you need a stocking stuffer ;)
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[10 Nov 2008|05:40pm] |
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so i wrote a love letter and have put my emotions away
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[08 Nov 2008|06:27pm] |
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is trust definitive or can it vary?
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| Contemporary Music and its Effects on Political Ideology |
[03 Mar 2008|10:00pm] |
Many scholars have studied, or attempted to study, the effect that music has on its listeners’ political ideologies. This has proven to be a difficult task, however, with the myriad of factors that come to play in surveying or experimenting with music listeners. General assumption of political music is that rock and roll results in a liberalizing effect, while country and folk music produce conservative ideologies in listeners. This essay is designed to show how these assumptions, as well as other findings regarding the effect of music on ideology are based on unwarranted assumptions and how the two factors are not causally related, even if correlations do exist.
The most convincing argument supporting a relationship between music genres and political beliefs comes from William Fox and James Williams in their self-administered questionnaires completed by Iowan college students in 1973. Fox and Williams analyzed demographic characteristics, including hometown size, father’s income, and class year, against the students’ political party preferences as well as their musical interests. Using cross-tabulations, Fox and Williams claimed to have found some of the factors to relate to each other. Their findings show that conservative students are more likely to enjoy popular hits and easy listening music. Liberals, on the other hand, are shown to prefer folk music and blues. Going against common assumption, the study did NOT find a correlation between conservatives and country music, nor between liberals and rock music. The survey found that demographical characteristics are largely unrelated to students’ preferences to music genres. Some slight correlations may exist, but none were stronger to affirm a conclusion than ideology and genre preference.
Another factor measured was students’ involvement with music in regards to concerts attended, records purchased, and radio listening. The returned results were somewhat fascinating. Conservatives had a strong correlation with listening to music on the radio, whilst liberals were shown to be more prone to buying records and attending concerts. In looking into the fundamental focuses of each ideology, one may argue that conservatives are less likely to support musicians and cultural artists; whereas liberals may be found to support such ‘liberal’ arts. Financially speaking, the results found support this claim- as concerts and records have a monetary cost while radio listening is free. In connecting this analysis with genre preferences, one may argue that easy listening and popular hits (although lesser so) are genres that generally do not have fanatical support. This would also follow the conservatives’ general lack of musical support. Compare this to blues and folk artists who generate fan bases and followings. This can be linked to liberals’ preferences in music and their propensity to support musical artists.
Many factors in this study went largely untouched upon. First to mention is the era. The 1970s represented a huge surge in the popularity of rock music. Perhaps conservatives and liberals alike were found to have very similar high interest in rock music purely based on this social surge. For this reason, perhaps the claim that liberals listen to rock music should not have been rejected. Second, claiming that these correlations represent causation may be overstepping the surveys bounds. The possibility of ideology affecting musical interest, as opposed to the opposite, was not at all explored. Also, any research done on the effect of music on ideology solely focuses on the lyrics of the songs. This neglects any effect that the rhythm, beat, or melody may have upon listeners. Finally, the assumption that listeners pay attention or even understand any political meaning in songs can not yet be made. Robinson and Hirsch, in their findings, suggest that only a minority of teenagers understand the intended meanings of songs. They also conclude that “popular music may have a minimal impact upon the majority of its audience” (358).
David Dunaway, in his article “Popular Music and Communication”, identifies the functions of political music. These include, but are not limited to, arousing support for a movement, describing social problems, and creating social cohesion for members in a movement. Let us analyze these functions with respect to contemporary rock music. Bands like System of a Down and Rage Against the Machine have significant political undertones in their lyrics. The music they play is aggressive and can be considered ‘protest music’. The fanbase of these groups are assumed to be liberal radicals who are anti establishment and anarchist. The groups certainly describe social problems in their lyrics, they arouse support by their fans, and create cohesion against a movement. These functions, however, should not be confused with causal factors of political ideology. The average listener is presumably politically apathetic, as is more than half of the United States (when looking at voter turnout in even presidential elections). Their concerts certainly bring together large groups of people with similar interests, and fans may even learn the lyrics to particular politically charged songs. However, the end result of the music is the release of teenage aggression. The melodies and rhythms build energy, anger, or even negative sentiment towards establishments.
“Drug money is used to rig elections, and train brutal corporate sponsored dictators around the world.” This is a line out of Prison Song by System of a Down. Does this song have political references? Yes. Does this song prove any unjust governmental action? No. The result on listeners of this song, and others, could potentially be negative feelings toward the government, but it is unlikely that the average listener gets motivated to do research on the topic, or becomes motivated to make a change. Teen angst and aggression must find its release somewhere, and it has found that place in music. The large populaces of American music listeners do nothing political resulting from such music. The average System of a Down fan probably doesn’t even vote, although I do not have statistical evidence to support this claim.
“Music’s effect on the political process is subtle and virtually impossible to measure, even in retrospect. The impact of a political song is often separate in time and space from the original performance.” (51) This is how Dunaway concludes his research. Much more research and analysis must be rigorously tested and tried before a true causal effect can be concluded. As of now, that evidence does not exist. This topic is particularly interesting to me, because the aforementioned song actually DID get me to research information on the prison system in the U.S. and eventually I became very politically involved. I serve as an anomaly, as none of my peers that I know had the same result. Originally, I was one of the many whom sought out hard rock music as a release of energy and/or aggression, but became one of the few who may have been ideologically affected (I have many problems with the prison system today). Music is like religion, an opiate for the masses. Unfortunately, this opiate is desired to satisfy purely personal, not political, ends.
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| The Relationship/Camera paradox |
[15 Jan 2008|11:21am] |
Wow, I have neglected you, dear livejournal you. My life has had some strikes and gutters since we last spoke, but as of late, I have been as happy as I could conceive.
I broke up with Erin just before Thanksgiving. This signified an end to a relationship lasting just about a year and 9 months. By far the most intimate relationship I have ever been in, as well as the most influential. My personal philosophy since leaving for college has constantly been doubted and reconsidered, with the occasional epiphany and alteration of views. One of these shifts happened while I was with Erin, and another just after we broke up. Rest assured, I am still the same person with mostly the same views; I just have further defined what I truly beleive in.
To update you with what I am doing, I guess I will start with school. I am in my 3rd year at UCSB studying Political Science, and Philosophy with an emphasis in ethics and public policy. I hope to use this schooling as a springboard to get into law school; where I have wanted to go since the tender age of 15.
This summer, I was flown to the Fijian Islands to work at a bottled water company called Vitiblu. Production just started while I was there, so expect some bottles on the shelf next year or so. I worked full time as the sales integrator where my primary duties were to find cheaper materials that would suffice for our products, and a way to more efficiently produce them. My trip paid off generously. I found a cheaper adhesive for box packaging that alone saved the company ~$2,000/month. Living in a third world country, working at a brand new company, and experiencing a totally new culture, I was able to grow a lot during my stay.
Along with my studies at school and international escapades, I have taken a very active role in my fraternity. My term as President ended with the calendar year, and was replaced with a position as the VicePresident of the InterFraternal Council. I wish to take everything I can from my actions in life, and firmly beleive you can take just as much as you put in. For this reason, I try to make changes for the best.
I financed my first new car last September without having a co-signer. 2008 Nissan Altima Coupe's look pretty fly on the road. Keep an eye out. In order to pay for it, I had arranged for a position as a law clerk in downtown Santa Barbara for when I was to return- I still work there today. I am still trying to decide if I bought my car in order to drive to work, or if I got a job to pay for a car. Either way, they basically cancel each other out.
Throughout this entire time, I was with Erin. We met less than a month after I finished my pledge quarter- I even still had a shaved head! Throughout the trials and pursuits of our relationship I had come to many small conclusions about that life that, when corroborated, influenced my ideals and philosophy. Needless to say, she was a very important figure in my life.
I have had a camera since I was 16 or so and like to document the times I have in life that were enjoyed. During our relationship, I documented a lot of the times Erin and I enjoyed. Through a shaved head and a ponytail my pictures portray both of us growing, and ejoying that time. Now, after the breakup, I guess I am glad to have these photos, but they aren't the most pleasant to see pop up in my random photo screensaver. There isn't much I can do about this problem short of deleting the photos (which I have learned not to do). So, I have drafted the Camera/Relationship paradox. Don't take kissy pictures - allow your significant other to do that. I will continue to acumulate photos, and slowly the chance of an Erin picture popping up becomes reduced. Until then, I will only warn those camera owners from saturating his/her computer with pics from a sweetheart.
As life progresses, we often think to ourselves about the choices we have made. What if I didn't decide to go abroad, what if I stayed with that girl? What I take from all of this is that the most important thing in life is experience. Do any and all that you can in the temporary, but at such a young age, avoid decisions that are permanent. This is not a stone-solid philosophy of mine, but it is something that always is considered. No wonder why I probably never will get a tattoo. It is those opportunities one is faced with that MAY have had become permanent choices that will always remain in his/her memories alongside the question 'What if?' It would be wrong to assume that in the future, one will never be able to reconsider that choice, but it would be even more wrong to assume that he/she will have that chance. Point being: choices stick. Know that you made up your mind with that decision for a reason (or many) and, granted that enough thought was put into it, it is what will ultimately benefit you most in life. At least, I keep telling myself this. No regrets.
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[12 Feb 2007|11:27am] |
midterms are hard.
FUCK
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[30 Jan 2007|04:07pm] |
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Erin's mom mailed her a mattress pad. I got a text from her asking if i wanted to try it out. maybe i'll sleep well....? yesssssssssss
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[22 Jan 2007|11:31am] |
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i spilled my coffee at the breakfast table today. without napkins or paper towels nearby i ventured into the kitchen with no luck either. checked two closets with no success but by the time i went back upstairs and got paper towels to soak up the mess, my breakfast was cold. what a great start to a monday. greg didn't go to class today so i sat alone in poly sci. he made a good choice by not going. lecture was slow and i spent half of it 'resting my eyes'. i suck at getting sufficient sleep for my health. burning the candle at both ends only works for so long before it catches up with you. with school in full tilt and the presidency eating away at my time, sanity would be lost without the main inlet of delectation: namedly my social life. i dare not cut out partying from daily schedule so, in order to make time, i cut hours out of reading and sleep. reading gets caught up with study drugs the week before midterms and finals, but sleep never has that same chance. i often undergo the misconception that when i return to the hills i can catch up.. this has proven me wrong every trip, so i'll accept a lack of sleep regardless of my surroundings. maybe someone could give me sleep lessons... i wasn't feeling well last week and greg gave me some tools/advice. i got hooked up with earplugs, veryan root tea, and melatonin- a drug that doesn't necessarily make you fall asleep as much as it helps relax the mind to fall into a deeper sleep. combined with the Veryan root tea-which helps allow the body to switch modes to 'bedtime' very easily. i was certain to catch up. minus the noise. i live i na house with 30 guys, all of whom consider music as an interest....loud music. that's where the ear plugs saved my life. straight up was blown away as to how well they worked. i put them in and although higher trebles remained somewhat audible, the deep booming of bass was somehow prevented. awesome. i arose the next morning before my alarm clock delightfully refreshed. so that was the last time that i got a good ngiht's rest. maybe i have ahad a lot on my head... which is probably a huge reason, and won't be discounted. what's discomforting about the situation is that nothing will be changed in my habits. i probably won't get much sleep tonight, tomorrow, wednesday, or at leat until sunday. social events and a rigorous class schedule assures me that i will rise early and stay up late. sweet life. college is supposed to exist as the best days of your life, right? so maybe what i am doing is not only normal, but supposed to happen. i get more hours to live with each hour cut out of sleep. i have my whole adult life to get acquainted with the depths of slumber. well, i wouldn't be opposed to getting a full nights sleep, maybe a little tutelage wouldn't hurt... anyone want to sleep with me?
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[21 Jan 2007|12:09pm] |
you like double standards. just like old times. quote of the night:
"Now I know how you feel when I show up to your house unexpected."
You are just bummed because you got to feel what i was forced to put up with. But i think it's ok. now, instead of having an unspoken agreement of seeing other people, we have now spoken. fair game. let's play.
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[09 Dec 2006|04:37pm] |
feeling blue?
change your hue.
i got my camera stolen.
fuck.
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| 10 song wonder... |
[30 Nov 2006|01:34am] |
FC Kahuna- Hayling
RJD2- The Horror
The Avanlanches- Frontier Psychiatrist
Caribou- Medium-Sized Working Dog
Ladytron- Cracked LCD
The Prodigy- Narayan
Shiny Toy Guns- Le Disko
The Streets- Same Old Thing
Thievery Corporation- Lebanese Blonde
Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Modern Romance
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| Go ahead; live a little |
[14 Nov 2006|02:42am] |
No, you know what? I'm 20 years old. It's time to act my age.
finally partying bros
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[13 Nov 2006|07:36pm] |
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Do I miss being with her, or just miss having someone?
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[26 Oct 2006|10:38pm] |
one may not judge another's action by intention, rather by repercussion.
f*ck that hoe.
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[24 Sep 2006|12:33am] |
i have had a humbling experience and have since accrued deserved wisdom. how one acts socially is a determining factor in who they will become. a change in such acting happens after devastational events occur. i apologize for the asshole i once was.
devastational- i just made it up
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