In Response to the NY Times article: Young, Gifted, and Not Getting Into Harvard

For the past few years all that I've seen regarding collegiate admissions are flawless children; exceptionally privileged young Americans, raised in a white house with a picket fence and a two car garage. They attend private schools, overload on extracurriculars and AP courses, and stay up until the early hours researching Kant and Rousseau.

Though their wallets are more than adequate in size, theirs is a world that consists of a handful of possibilities: Harvard. Yale. Brown. Dartmouth. Georgetown. Cornell. A semester abroad at Oxford, perhaps, before the first job at Morgan Stanley and the daily commute made easier by the Audi S4 procured as a graduation gift.

On the outside, this looks like a great life. A charmed life, certainly; full of the Ivy League, summers spent on Martha's Vineyard, winter breaks snuggled up next to a fire in Aspen, starting salaries of $80k the day after graduation.

But what about on the inside?

The pressure that these exceptional students feel to succeed are pressures that never touched me in my solidly middle class family living in a lower class community. Of course, there was never a question of continuing my education after high school - but there was a question of where and for what.

State school for art or education?
The private institution for communications and english literature?

My parents supported whichever decision I made, regardless of their actual views on the subject. I never had to worry that by pursuing the arts I would be disappointing my parents and branding myself as the "free spirit" (re: disappointment) of the family.

For perhaps the first time I can see just how easy I have it.

Idle Hands.... (you know the rest)

-----Original Message-----
From: Seat Filler
Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 4:22 PM
To: Chasing Ordinary
Subject:

does (Boyfriend), to your knowledge, have any difficult, high-volume or otherwise infuriating work to do this Friday?

-----Original Message-----
From: Chasing Ordinary
Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 4:31 PM
To: Seat Filler
Subject: RE:

Not that I know of... Por que?

-----Original Message-----
From: Seat Filler
Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 4:34 PM
To: Chasing Ordinary
Subject: RE:

I was thinking I might rearrange the letters on his keyboard to spell "ULOVEDICK" or something equally childish. But that would render his keyboard all but useless unless he's a complete touch typist.

Honestly, the ideal solution would be some sort of second keyboard so that in event he needed one that had not been mauled, he could use it. Though, I suppose since he has a laptop, this is kind of built-in.

-----Original Message-----
From: Chasing Ordinary
Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 4:36 PM
To: Seat Filler
Subject: RE:

...are you really that bored?

-----Original Message-----
From: Seat Filler
Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 4:42 PM
To: Chasing Ordinary
Subject: RE:

uh, obvi.

It's a Wednesday Music Round-up!

So, I know that I missed Music Review Monday and that I suck at life yadda yadda yadda but I have a good excuse seeing as Punk Rock Mama had eye surgery (yikes!) on Monday and I've been home helping take care.

That's no excuse however, and, since I've been home, I've been collecting lots of music tidbits just for you guys. For serious.

Up first is the video for Secondhand Serenade's Vulnerable.



Now, as we all know, I hate this dude.

He's what happens when the cliche tortured jock picks up an acoustic guitar and falls in love - bad music, poor lyrics, and, to be quite frank, an unattractive video with unattractive people looking at pictures and videos of their unattractive selves.

Next up... Cold War Kids.
What about them? They're on MTV! Say whaaat?!? The COLD WAR KIDS??? That band that plays The Middle East and no one knows about???

All of those Boston McHipsters are going to have to go cry into their Ezekiel Live Grain bread and soy butter.

(Ezekiel bread by the way is the weirdest shit ever. I've all for the granola crunchy way of life, but live grain bread? Are you serious? Go get some bakery bread.)


Rounding out the Greatest Week in Music Ever (not even close, really) is Hilary Duff and her new single, With Love.

Now, this may lose me tons of cool points but I don't care - after, 3 straight days of having this song played on repeat whilst shopping at Target for things that I don't need, it has drilled its way into the pleasurable part of my brain and made a little home there.

Yes, it's Hil Duff. It's not good. But it's catchy as shit and her new album will be fucking awesome to run to. Let the ridicule start now - I don't care. It's going on my iPod... with every other album she's put out.

What the fuck, Akon?

Seriously, what the fuck? This is some random girl that you yanked on stage to dry hump? For real, Akon? You don't get enough groupie ass, you've got to molest some poor fan?

Damn. Take a lesson from they dudes on the train in France two posts down.

They're entertaining while singing Phil Collins.
On a train.
Without dry-hump-raping a girl.

This one's for Adina

...two Wagamama's are opening up in the Boston area. These are the ultimate in UK Noodle shops. Check out the web menus at www.wagamama.com to increase your noodle lust.

Stumbling.

Some random dudes on a train in France singing (and breaking down) Phil Collins.

Music Review Monday

Artist: Kelly Clarkson
Album (single): Never Again
6 Words: Kelly, with Pat Benatar-esque vocals. Amazing.

Paraskavedekatriaphobia

I just don't get the fear of Friday the 13th. I really don't. The word itself is more scary than the actual day.

Furthermore (yes, that's right, FURTHERMORE) I don't understand how the fear materializes in people. I'm sure that there are some legitimate associations with the date that cause the phobia (death in the family, bad news, etc.) but theres no way that all the people who refused to get out of bed this morning due to a feeling of impending doom have had a poor experience to reinforce the fear.

Suck it up, selective agoraphobics, and come play in the sun.

Music Review... Wednesday?

Yes, today is Wednesday, not Monday. Yes, I traditionally do my music reviews on Monday. So sue me, I waited an extra two days.

But! I waited for a good reason.

Venue: Paradise Rock Club, Allston, MA
Artist: Peeping Tom (Mike Patton - Faith No More & Mr. Bungle and a motley crew of backup including a female beatboxer)
6 Words for Peeping Tom: Totally fucking sick performance.

Artist: Miho Hatori (Cibo Matto)
6 Words for Miho Hatori: Huge voice but I expected more.

Artist: Pigeon John (???)
6 Words for Pigeon John: KFed wishes he was this cool.

Desire.

If you love me at all you will get me tickets (First Ring Center, please) to the NYC Ballet's Premiere of Romeo + Juliet.

Seriously.
I have to go.
I just have to.

It's Shakespeare and it's ballet and it's New York City and I love it.