Heard Around Campus

"Man legs don't get cold. You could shave that shit Michael Phelps style and you still wouldn't be cold."


"Did Donna find the ass in the stairwell yet?" [in reference to graffiti on the walls...I assume??]


"It's like this kid, dressed up as Darth Vader or whatever, and he like, starts his dads car. With like, the Force or something?"


"Oh, you know us, can't have somebody in our beds without it being made!!"

Valentines Day is for Nerds

So, if you're like me - a week to go and still in the market for a Valentine - I suggest you start using a little Force. If these don't win him/her over...he/she is soooo not worth your box of chocolates.

<3 FAVORITE!



Girl, me too.




Cutest Super Couple EVAH



It's funny because her planet blew up.




another epic super couple <3





Okay, sorry, this one's kinda PG...




Aren't we all girl....aren't we all...



A Letter to the Indie Community

Dear Hipsters, Indie kids, rebels, whatever you call yourselves these days (a thousand pardons, we mainstreamers are so behind on the lingo),
     Hello! Nice to meet you, though I know you won't actually read this because blogs are very out, as is getting information firsthand. You'll probably just barely hear my message as it is relayed to you via a less independent friend over the bass line of a Sleighbells song at a venue so underground you're not even sure what it's called. To help spread my message I'll be sure to post copies (typewritten, on an actual typewriter, naturally with a serif font) on the cork boards of all the local thrift and used record stores. Though not a member of your conglomerate ('communities' are far too mainstream, everyone has those), I am somewhat of a lurker around your borders and many less insightful people tend to group me with you, as I own several berets. Anywho, I was writing to address a small issue that has been on the rise since the rights to more popular music have become too expensive for advertisers to cope with (especially with this economy, I'm sure you've noticed how crowded the Goodwills have become), the phenomenon of indie bands being featured in *gasp* commercials and pop culture.

Please, pause, readjust your wayfarer frames and compose yourselves.

     The most recent in this string of felonies has occurred as the indie favorite "Heads Will Roll" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs was featured in tonight's episode of Fox's 'Glee' Members of your nation have already switched their fonts to sarcasm and hit the YouTube comment boxes hard, striking blows at the integrity of Karen, Brian, and Nick (members of the YYY, but I'm sure you knew that already) as well as other artists whose songs have been feature on Glee, in commercials and advertising, or in other forms of mass media. And might I say, for a crowd as laid back as you all appear to be, you are a vicious bunch! Now, I have a great deal of respect for independent music, and artists, don't get me wrong. I think that they're incredibly talented people. However, I don't think that they deserve your scorn for wanting to get their name out there and maybe catch a few more fans. See, the great thing about music is its not susceptible to inflation. It doesn't lose value the more people who listen to it. It's exactly the same whether one kid in a basement in Seattle listens to it as if every single iPod up and down the east coast has it playing (this excludes the phenomenon of being overplayed on radios, that's a whole nother issue). The music doesn't change. The whole hipster movement is based on the idea of being ahead of the curve, being too cool to like mainstream things and follow trends, but aren't you following trends still? They're just the next wave? And by moving on from an artist whose music you valued so strongly at one point, aren't you forfeiting your individuality and following a trend set by the culture you've chosen to adapt? Please note, I'm not saying that you can't ever stop liking bands or get out of a phase of music, but to hate an artist because you are no longer the only one on your block that owns their EP? That's a little drastic if you ask me.
     And if you love that music so much, wouldn't you want the world to hear it? Wouldn't you wish the best for the artists producing it? And if those artists do chose to have their music produced in bulk, shouldn't you support them enough to respect their decision? Personally, if I find music I like, the second thing I do (after listening to it straight for a 24 hour period) is burn my friends mix CDs filled with this great new stuff. Mass media helps bands reach audiences that there's virtually no way they'd reach otherwise, and I think that's fantastic. I'm not gonna lie, there are defiantly some bands that I've discovered because their music was featured somewhere, and I'm not the slightest bit ashamed of that. Plenty of artists maintain their artistic integrity while also being successful (Prince, Beyonce, Michael Jackson). I'm enclosing a list of great music I've found in commercials over the years (sorry if this may be a bit of a repost):

"Wraith Pinned To The Mist and Other Games" Of Montreal (love this song <3)

"Such Great Heights" The Postal Service AND Iron and Wine (same song, two bands, two different commercials)
"Holiday" Vampire Weekend
"Flathead" The Fratellis
"1234" Feist
"Jerk It Out" The Ceasars
"Fort Knox"Goldfish
"New Soul" Yail Naiim
"Don't Upset the Rhythm (Go Baby Go)" The Noisettes
"Great DJ" The Ting Tings
"A-Punk" Vampire Weekend
(See? Good music deserves sharing! the videos I can't vouch for though....lol)
     Anyway, I know, I know, who am I to preach? I'm a mere mortal, a mainstreamer with one tiny toe in the world of all things hipster. I wear the plaid button downs and converse, but not like I mean it. I have plastic framed glasses and listen to public radio sometimes but I also have seen the Jonas Brothers live, so all my credibility goes down in flames. I understand this. But if you're here that means you either value my thoughts, got here by accident, or need something to laugh at with your buddies Monday morning around the water cooler. But I promise to get off my reclaimed wood-constructed soapbox after making one last point.
     I'm pretty damn sick and tired of every video of any 'indie' band being spammed with thousands of comments attacking Lady Gaga. Seriously? Will pointing out how much more completely awesome and original and wonderful [insert lead female singer of some undiscovered band here] is than Lady Gaga really help you sleep at night? Why does it even matter if he/she is better than Lady Gaga? If he/she tried to gain Gaga's popularity, you'd ditch them anyway! It is my personal and strong opinion that Lady Gaga is fucking great and talented and awesome (once again, my blog, my opinions). But I also value all sorts of other musicians and music without having to comment on every random video about how terrible the band is in comparison to Lady Gaga. Seriously, every single video of every random unsigned independent video I've watched (which is a fairly good amount) has some stupid comment about "Who needs Lady Gaga when you have this?!" or "OMG this is so much more forward and innovative than Lady Gaga could ever hope to be"
SHUT UP! Gaga's famous, Gaga's making money, Gaga's making money, Gaga's making a difference. Obviously someone is buying her stuff and liking it. Even if it is us humble normal people too ignorant to listen to your new wave music. Gaga is not taking opportunities away from any other artist, she just happens to be what 'the people' want. And I'm terribly sorry if you disagree with the taste of the collective music listeners, but who knows? Maybe the artist you think is more deserving will get some airtime and become the next big thing. But by that time you'll probably have moved on because they're too well known and be on to the next wave of artists, complaining that they are much more deserving of fame than those other guys you used to like before they sold out...

Sincerely, Krysti

p.s. I'm not nearly as bitter as this letter makes me seem, but I just got through watching a series of videos all of which featured a slew of stupid comments about Lady Gaga and whatever indie band 'selling out'

BACK to the FUTURE

You know what I don't understand, some of the so called 'innovations' that speculative fiction/sci-fi writers, artists, authors, etc. have predicted just don't make any goddamn sense. Like, I understand it's kind of hard to predict the future of science since, let's face it, it's kind of hard to predict the present of science, but some of the stuff they're thinking of - let's put a little more thought into these things. Esspecially when they're in multiple sci-fi/spec-fic universes. Case in point:

Tripods

(or really any giant spindly legged fighting device)

Now, I can see the logic behind the three legged design (any three points must be coplanar and balance, see also bar stools - yeah MATH 105!) however, LOOK HOW VENERABLE THAT MOFO IS! It's the most unstable looking design ever. We as bipeds have a similar (magnified) issue, one overturned car (or large rock) in our path, one instance of not lifting our feet high enough and BAM we're down. Now, if I was pouring bazillions of whatever currency aliens use into an ass-kicking machine I don't want it toppling over at the first sign of a jump rope, ya feel me? Not to mention they probably would go down at the first sign of ice faster than a drunk biddie hightailing it outta e-courts Sunday morning. Not to mention that they're way more venerable to attacks from, say, rocket launchers? One hit and that thing's goin' down in a fiery inferno. Trust me, I've seen it happen.

Other culprits:

I'm talking to you Half Life 2 (the inspiration for this post and a GREAT game)



Star Wars AT-ST Walker - biped, even worse

And In the Dark of the Night, I'll Be Your Light In the Mist.

Prompt 121 (because that's what time it is): Start a short story with "she touched the little box in her pocket and smiled."

     She touched the little box in her pocket and smiled coyly at a passing a policeman. Their footsteps set the tempo of the night. He tipped his hat and followed her lengthy legs with his eyes until she vanished around the corner. Neon lights reflected in the pools rain from the night prior, lighting the stage. Taxis dashed by, soft whispers of speed. Sirens screaming in the distance and she picked up the tempo, adding evermore steps between herself and 89th street. Her black boots echoed sharp clicks against the cement as she slipped down a narrow side street, listening for the impending bass line....

     Ah, there is was. Four perfectly timed soft thuds reverberated through the district. Chimes of breaking glass. Enter brass section, the scraping of metal blown away from the blast. Now strings, piercing staccato screams. Despite her better judgement her hand gravitated toward her pocket, towards the little box. Now the vocals - television reports, car radios, iPods, cell phones - all joined in the harmony of confusion. Syllables without meaning, only tone - fear and confusion - clear as a bell. Like a foreign song, words were not important. Her hand twitched again, almost beyond her control. Ducking in a doorway she allowed herself a brief segue, grazing the tips of her fingers against the icy glass faces concealed within.

     The moment passed. The music went on, and she resumed her pace, pulling the silvery blonde wig off and allowing her dark tresses to meet the night air. Now for the finale - what would the concert be without a smash ending? In an instant the sky was alight with color and sound. The audience roared. She smiled without turning, a mere bystander, a lover of the symphony.

GLaDOS, you suggestion in under consideration, but its proving tricky. More suggestions welcomed of course :) Also: title trivia - GO!

Things I Learned This Semester

• Yoga is fucking intense
• It's more important to have 10 new flat screen TVs in the dining halls than salt the pathways. Because a broken hip heals, HD is forever.
• FPS games are SO MUCH EASIER on a PC
• Our education system is fucked up. Hardcore.
• Never trust anything from campus dining
• Antlions are friends, not target practice
• Coloring pages make excellent holiday cards, notebook covers, stress relievers and door decorations
• Secretly no one knows what they're doing
• Abercrombie bags (as much as I despise the store...) make GREAT wall decorations (this one is compliments of the LXII ladies - anyone know who they/you are?!?)
• All men should smell like Old Spice Showtime (omgomgomg *melts*)
• As much as I hate taking control and doing all the work in a group, I can't stand not being in control...
• I'm a control freak. But I'm working on it (sorry to those victims of my insanity)
• Going to comic con either earns you a whole lot of respect from people, or a whole lot of judgement.
• I make strong first impressions. Good, bad or indifferent, chances are you're not forgetting me anytime soon. Two of my professors have already assured me of that.
• I love CLOTHES.
• Remember when I said rain boots were the best investment a college student could make? False: snow boots are the greatest investment a college student can make.
• Large windows = snowball targets
• College kids are the fastest, most creative snowman builders EVER (well, except for Calvin)
• Despite caution tape and clearly perilous conditions, college student will walk under a nearly fallen tree to get to class a little faster
• Beer bottles, caps, and solo cups make great snowman accessories.
• How to cut metal :D next project, here I come!!

YouTube Made the Radio Star Turn in His Grave....

So, as those of you who have ever spoken to me for more than like 10 minutes already know, I'm a viral video addict. I really don't search for videos, I swear, I just am online a lot and people send me stuff all the time that then links to other things.....it gets bad. However, my latest find may be one of my favorites, ladies and gentlemen (are there even any out there?) I present to you....TRIPOD!

I just know you'll like them, because chances are that if you're reading this blog that you like one or more of the following:
A. music
B. Australians
C. Nerd stuff
D. Funny stuff
E. Me <3
and if any (or all, if you're awesome) of the above is something you like, you'll love 'em. That's about all you'll get in terms of explanation, because honestly, they speak for themselves...enjoy.

Personal favorite (as my status prowlers might already have seen...I could see myself in a relationship like this, I'm not sure which party I'd be though....):








Seriously, look them up, they're hilarious. I'm in love...WITH THE INTERNETTTTTTTTTTT!
P&B <3

I GOT BLISTAHS ON MY FINGAHS!!!!

First off: bonus points to whoever can tell me where that title is from WITHOUT WIKIPEDIA.

Moving along, though I do not actually have blisters on my fingers they are all asleep (unlike me) due to my new compulsive habit: computer games, namely Half Life 2. So, in honor of my 8 hours of play time in the last three days (DON'T EVEN SAY ANYTHING I DON'T WANNA HEAR IT!) I'm composing two opposing lists.

Things I Can Do In Video Games
But Not In Real Life

• Shoot people
• Kill zombies
• Eat brightly colored mushrooms
• Fly
• Shoot lazers, fire, and/or magic
• Defeat evil monsters/robots/kings/aliens/etc.
• Beat the bejezzus out of people I don't like, or even people I do like!
• Teleport/shoot portals
• Dance well
• Catch pokemon
• Do crazy science experiments
• Be an awesome and questly race (i.e. elves)
• Skip dialogue from people I don't like
• Be a rock star (my lifelong dream, shhhh don't tell anyone)
• Use kickass weaponry (ex: swords, crossbows, rocket launchers....)
• Die and come back
• Find money/jewels/currency lying all around
• Double jump
• 'spolde things!! BOOM!

Things I Can Do In Real Life

But Not In Video Games

• Talk back to people
• Drive cars (steering is so hard in video games!!! except Mario Kart, I'll kick your ass)
• (as a female) Have feasible body proportions
• Stop chasing a princess if that bitch isn't in the first castle
• Do homework (with the exception of The Sims, but seriously? Who does Sims homework?)
• Have real cake

I Need to Flex My Creative Writing Muscles

So, unfortunately for my undulating desire to write things, I have absolutely no classes that challenge me to write creatively at all. I swear I'm not bragging or trying to say I'm an awesome writer (I saw you roll your eyes at that opening sentence) all I'm saying is I love to write and with my course load (or really any of my course loads, actually now that I think about it) there isn't a lot of demand for it. So fuck that, I have a blog and a will to do so, and am going to write goddamnit! So, I found this website that offers a shit-ton of random as hell prompts and whenever I'm low on things to blog (which is always, you guys know that) about I shall choose one from the list. TODAY: prompt 222 (my time of birth, triviaaaaaaaaa!!)

"Write a story about a beggar who loves to hear himself sing."

There once was a scoundrel named Edgar
The poor fellow t'was naught but a beggar
But ask him to sing
And slob became king!
Just as soon as you'd open the kegger.

Now along came a gentleman discontented,
His nuptials having just been upended,
His bride to be was a wreck
The minsteral'd run off with their check
The engagement was indeterminately suspended.

Now Edger, he was very smart
Jumped at the chance to spread his art
So he agreed to help
And the groom said with a yelp
"Tomorrow at noon! Bless your heart!"

Now the poor poor bride from old Readin'
All but lost her dear head from the frettin'
Edgar drank all their rum
Then got in on with her mum
The fellow had sung his last weddin'.

And, prompt 218 <3

"List 13 Good Reasons to Learn a New Language"

This is a coincidence, but for all my girlies over in Spain/Italy this semester!!

1. To become a more successful traveler
2. Because colleges and employers like it
3. To gain a sexy accent
4. So you can talk about others in public without them knowing
5. Because English is not universal
6. To open the Chamber of Secrets
7. To broaden your own horizons
8. To pick up Italian men (BEAN)
9. So you can learn all sorts of dirty swear words and no one can yell at you for saying them
10. So you can communicate with vastly more people (unless you learn something dead or obscure like Latin or Elvish)
11. Genuine interest in that language or culture
12. To decode codes craved into ancient artifacts and solve mysteries (a la Lara Croft, Dan Brown, or Nicholas Cage)
13. Because your entire family speaks it

Why do I do these things? I have no idea. But if you liked this in the least bit LEAVE A COMMENT WITH ANY NUMBER 1-350 and that's the next prompt Imma doooo!!

Snowventures!!!!

Snowman in the middle of the pond.

12ft tall snowman

Army of snowman lining the path to mah dorm