Thursday, August 19, 2010

Pro Athletes Out of Control

I was looking around my room the other day when I came across a 1980 Phillies World Series ticket. The infield ticket was $20. I then looked at my most recent ticket (Last Thursday's Phillies game) which was $55. I thought about why we pay all that money to see these athletes play, and as these athletes gain more and more power over their leagues, the more ridiculous their ego and contracts become.

Without even bringing up LeBron James, as the power in professional sports shifts from the owner to the player, the players are out of control. The ticket prices to see these players play are even worse. And the fact that we still go to the games is the worst.

What Makes a Great Concert?

Last weekend, I found myself at the Mann Center in Fairmount Park to see the band MGMT. If you haven't heard of them, their music is difficult to describe without referring to other obscure bands, but I've heard them referred to as Indie-rock, pop, electronica, physcadelic-pop, dance-punk, and various other strange genres. Needless to say, I wasn't at all sure what to expect from the concert in terms of the performance, the atmosphere, or the crowd.

My ignorance served me well, though, and allowed the night to far exceed my shaky expectations. When I discussed the event later with other attendees, we decided that, all-in-all, the concert was a blast, but the performance was really nothing special. And that got me wondering, if a top-notch performance isn't all that's necessary to make a great concert, then what is?

Thursday, August 12, 2010

No Need for 3D

Lately, I've been asking some pretty simple questions. Why has an entire generation turned against our President? Why can't Germantown Avenue developers put something useful on the Ave? And, why exactly is Facebook taking over the world? Now I'm moving towards a more serious question: why in the world are 3D TVs becoming popular?

By the end of this year, TV makers expect 3.4 million 3D TVs to be shipped. This is the worst consumer mistake since the time we chose to spend our Thursday nights watching Jersey Shore. As I prepared to write this article I didn't know much about 3D TV's. But, I figured all needed to know is that they are overpriced and useless -- kind of like the cast of Jersey Shore.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

31 Minutes to Takeoff: Plenty of Turbulence

After two good mixtapes and a hit single (Cooler Than Me), Mike Posner released his new album yesterday, "31 Minutes to Takeoff." With an early release of Please Don't Go, Posner's new album was on the top of my list, yet, when I got my hands on it last night, it proved to be a bumpy flight.

Posner's first mixtape, "A Matter of Time," promised  future success with studio albums, however, his first album didn't get close to reaching the level of his mixtapes.

To start, Posner's voice proves whiny and raspy, which didn't suprise me considering this was the case from the beginning. Yet, in his earlier music the heavily nasal sound worked because he was much more reliant upon rapping. Here, however, the sound got plain boring. Also, the love songs were absolutely tiresome. Posner may not necessarily want to or need to appeal to rap enthusiasts, but with all the crying love songs on his album, he definitely gravitates towards R&B/pop. Here's each song (emboldened titles are the songs worth listening to):

Monday, August 9, 2010

Hooked on Facebook: A New Era of Addiction

In the past, addiction was simple. There were alcoholics, drug addicts and gambling addicts. In these days of rapid innovation, however, it seems that people can be addicted to nearly anything: food, shopping, and even plastic surgery. The worst addiction yet (yes, even worse than plastic surgery) is the Facebook addiction. The odd thing is that although countless members of my generation may be on their way to “Facebooks Anonymous,” most of us don’t even enjoy signing onto Facebook to begin with.

Last week I spent four days at Princeton University’s water polo camp – a camp filled with kids from 15 to 18 from all over the country. I noticed well over half of the kids checking their Facebooks regularly on phones, iPods, and even laptops during the four days.

One kid got out of the pool, dried off, and checked his Facebook from his iPhone. Even when I was recording a video by the pool, my friend said, “this has to go on Facebook.” Nearly every teen would say that’s not the first time they’ve heard that statement, as Facebook has become a centerpiece for my generation. It’s such a vital part of our lives, and we can’t seem to live without it. Yet, many of my peers can’t believe how much time they waste on Facebook doing things that are, quite frankly, pointless.

Friday, August 6, 2010

10 Songs Adam's Listening to This Week

1. Fresh Like Us by Chiddy Bang -- Off their first mixtape, "Air Swell," Xaphoon Jones (the duo's beat maker) uses a sample from French artist Yelle. The beat, coupled with one of Chiddy's better raps makes for a song worth listening to

2. Please Don't Go by Mike Posner -- Mike Posner released this song off his new album, which is set to release next week. If this song is a sign of how his album is going to be, I'm very excited

3. Trippin' by B.o.B -- Off the mixtape that put him on the map, "B.o.B. vs. Bobby Ray," B.o.B slows it down with Trippin'

10 Songs Zoe's Listening to This Week

Buzzin' (Shwayze) -- If you're in the mood for some chill summer music

Jumper (Third Eye Blind)-- a lil' sentimental 90s throwback

Yesterday (Atmosphere) -- Sean Daley's life story is spiced up with some bluesy piano background. And there's a surprise ending...

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Concerts in the Philadelphia Area this Summer

August 5, Susquehanna Bank Center--Kings of Leon

August 6, Susquehanna Bank--Kiss

August 7 and 10th, Susquehanna Bank--Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band