Why Rock Music is DEAD

Hello my friends, today we are going to discuss something that I truly do not understand: why is rock music dead?

From the late 50's to the mid 90's rock music was the quintessential genre of popular music. It was played in bars, clubs, on the radio, in concert and much more. However, as the millennia approached, it became clear that hip-hop/rap was becoming the dominant genre of music. Furthermore, upon the death of grunge icon Kurt Cobain and the subsequent disbanding of Nirvana, the band that defined the 90's musically, rock music began to fade out.

Gone are the days of Led Zeppelin, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and their contemporaries. Today, we do not truly evaluate musicians on true talent but rather the popularity that ensues from their music. Look at the recent craze with all these DJs whose music all sounds the same. The bass thumps, there is a drop, then a buildup once more and then it just loops over and over again.

Furthermore, today's music has no sustainability. Can you really imagine anyone listening to this Skrillex fellow in 50 years? Absolutely not. However, bands like Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, U2, Nirvana and many more will be listened to and revered for decades. Can you seriously imagine how ridiculous it would be if our children listened to today's music and defined it as "classic" similar to how we have defined our parent's music as "classic". Personally, I feel that music from 30 years ago was authentic and had soul whereas today's music is a digital and computer generated mess. 

Let me tell you something faithful reader, I will never succumb to the pressures of the music industry today and accept what is popular to be the absolute best. Rather, I will make it my life's goal to rid the world of these horrid musicians and return the music industry to its former glory. I know I am not alone on this mission. However, it will be no easy task.

Certainly, it would be easy to tell you that one day rock music will deservedly reign as the most popular genre of music once again. However, I am no fortune teller and cannot predict the future, though I wish I could. What I can tell you is that we should enjoy what we once had and be happy about it. Until then, we will have to sit in the shadow of mediocrity that has been cast upon us from popular music today. 

P.S. Not all popular music today is horrid. I love the Arcade Fire, who are probably one of the best bands on the planet right now, among other of their contemporaries that attempt to make good music. 

New City Gas: Gas I'd Like To Pass

Hello my friends, before I begin I would like to ask you all a simple question: why is it that we, young people, enjoy going to clubs?

I often ask myself this question as I exit a club, time and time again. It's not that I don't enjoy dancing and prancing around like Bambi running away from a hunter; I just hate the monotonous and boring music that plays all night long in these establishments. Don't get me wrong here, my musical tastes are varied. However, is it just me, or does all house/electronic music tend to sound the same? The same repetitive bass beat in the background followed by a drop then a buildup over and over and over again.

This is why I don't listen to popular music very often; I find it uninteresting, and trivial. However, this has somewhat alienated me from some of my peers. In fact, I often find myself getting into discussion with others about going to some club only to have no idea what I am talking about.

This is a hypothetical example of a typical conversation with one of my peers:

Dave: Hey man! You going to New City Gas this weekend? 

Me: What's that? Some sort of fueling station? 

Dave: No dude! It's this awesome club where sweaty people go and dance on top of each other! Pretty cool eh? 

Me: No, not really. 

Dave: Come on... Skrillex is playing this weekend! He's so boom! You need to come bro!

Me: I don't know man. In fact,  I don't even know what a Skrillex is.

Dave: Dude, come on. WE HAVE TO GO. It's going to be a crazy time! I promise if you don't like it, I'll never make you go back again.

After thinking about Dave's offer I reluctantly agree to go to this New City Gas with him.

Me: Alright man, if you say so...

My friends and I arrive at New City Gas, it is a cold and dark winter night. To avoid the coat-check I wear only a t-shirt in -11 degree weather. Not only is it extremely cold, but I am in desperate need of a bathroom as my bladder is about to burst. After freezing my bum off in a line for over 30 minutes, my friends and I are admitted to the venue. After passing the first checkpoint, we are put into another line. At this point I cannot take it any longer and proceed to relief myself on the stone facade of New City Gas. (Do not judge me... I really had to go.)

Finally, I make to the end of the second line. I am told to put my belongings into a small, grey plastic bin, like at the airport, and asked to walk forward. Without warning, a large, brutish bouncer begins to vigorously frisk me as if I am hiding weapons of mass destruction somewhere in my jeans. Eventually, I recover my belongings and am permitted entry to this extremely secure place.

I make my way down the large steel staircase in front of me. At the bottom of the stairs I see another line. "Oh no," I say to myself. "Another fucking line! You've got to be kidding me!" Luckily, this was the line for the coat-check, and I was prepared to avoid it.

After going up another flight of stairs I make it to the concert hall. The dank smell of sweat, booze and other bodily fluids fills the air of New City Gas. Thousands of sweaty adolescents fill the room and bounce to the beat of the subwoofer as it pierces my ears with its repetitive beat. Several colored lights flash and blind me as I attempt to navigate this hellhole.



Stealthily making our way through crowds of moist individuals, my friends and I make it close to the front of the stage. Ahead of us, on an elevated podium is a DJ mashing away on his MacBook Pro. After two hours or so I have had enough. The mix of the smell, the people and the horrendous music makes me feel ill. I have to get out of here.


Sur enough, after begging and pleading with my friends and somehow talking over the loud noise of the music, we agree to leave. I look for an exit sign then immediately follow it like a wolf hunting its prey. Finally, I find a door and with every ounce of strength in my body I push it open. I exit triumphantly, like a bat out of hell; free from the torment of this venue.

I swear to myself that I will never return to this place. However, only time will tell if I keep this promise. and like every night I ask myself the same question I ask myself each time I exit a club: why do people like these places?

The Facebook Timeline: A Scary Trip Down Memory Lane

Hello friends, the other day while in a trance of post-midterm studying and boredom I stumbled upon something I had never noticed before: you can look at all of your past activity on your Facebook page year by year.

Firstly, I noticed on the bottom right corner of my Facebook Timeline there were options for certain years. I clicked 2008 and suddenly I was transported back to grade 8 and all of the ridiculous posts of that year. Then, I proceeded to see what I did in 2009, 2010 and 2011, then finally making it back to present day.  

What's interesting about doing this is seeing what type of person you used to be through your online interactions with others. It's really an introspective experience, you can really measure how much you've changed your public image and persona through the course of your adolesent and young adult life. 

It's actually quite scary how something as simple as a sentence you wrote when you were 15 can bring back such strong memories. For example, one of my favorite posts that I discovered as a status that said, "is starting to smell better... believe me." This brought me back to one of the most unfortunate stories of my life that I'd rather not expose online.. However, I will tell you it involves myself and a skunk. But more on that later.

Another interesting thing I noticed is that before the Facebook Message existed the primary means of communication was by having full on conversations on someone's wall. Like most people my age I used to do this but the truly hilarious thing is that I totally forgot that we would communicate like that. I cant speak for others but I'm sure there are a few of us that have zero recollection of the "wall to wall" that once existed as our primary mode of communication. 



The last thought that I had was that Facebook can either be viewed as something that will either lead to our downfall or allow us to reach the next level in communication as a global community, hopefully the latter. What truly worries me is how my children will communicate with their friends and peers. I can only imagine their social ineptitude but from what I've been thinking it looks rather gloomy.  

We will either be so enthralled in our online worlds that we won't be able to communicate in person with each other, or social networking will help us reach the next level in global networking and the transmission of ideas and thoughts. However, as cliche as this sounds, only time will tell if we are digging ourselves our very own grave via social networking. So ask yourself, is Facebook ruining your life? If you're unsure, here is a list of signs Facebook is ruining your life. 

Stay thirsty my friends,
-MB 

A Lifetime of Mistakes

"We all make mistakes. After all, we're only human." - some douchy proverb

 This is something I've heard over and over again throughout my life, and yet each time I hear it I want to shoot myself in the foot out of stupidity.

I'll admit it; shit happens. We make mistakes. However, this doesn't mean we can't always learn from these mistakes, but some of us never do.

Sadly, I am one of these people. I have made the same careless mistakes over and over again during my short life of 18 years. In addition, the worst part is many of this mistakes are avoidable. For example, the one dreadful mistake I continue to make throughout my life as a student is leaving completed assignments on my desk.

I've left art assignments, research papers, english essays, business projects and more on my desk the day they are due. It's not like I'm a procrastinator and I don't do the work. In fact, my work is always done in advance. I just always forget that it needs to be handed in on a particular day.

What is worse is that this has been going on since elementary school. You'd think after all this time I'd devise a better system for making sure I have my work in my bag the night before but I always leave it on my desk. In fact, I seem to ALWAYS leave it on my desk. I'm all too familiar with the feeling one gets upon realizing their assignment or project is sitting on their desk at home.

This is a typical situation in which I realize my work is on my desk at home:

I walk into class, confident in myself and my assignment that I believe is in my bag. As per usual, the professor asks everyone to hand in their assignment. I gaze into my bag flabbergasted to see it's not there. Reflexively, I begin to panic, searching frantically through my bag for the absent work. However, it is not anywhere to be seen. Suddenly, my stomach feels heavy, my head overwhelmed and my heart feels as if it is about to burst through my chest.

 Oh no, not again. I fucked up.

Within moments I enter into overdrive, an internal dialogue running through my mind, "Fuck me. You've really done it this time Mason. Do you have your computer? No, of course you don't you moron. Wait, is the file somewhere in your email? No. Why the hell would it be!? WAIT! Can you print it from school? Yes... Hmmmmm ok... But how am I going to get the file? .......OF COURSE! MOM!"

I run out of class and into the bathroom and call my mother:

Me: Hai mommmmmmyyyyy.....

Mom: Hi Mason. Why are you calling me? Shouldn't you be in class!?

Me: Well... I am in class.. Mom can you do me a favor please......?

Mom: Yes..

Me: Can you pretty please email me the file (insert name here) from my computer, I need to print it.

Mom: DID YOU FORGET YOUR WORK ON YOUR DESK AGAIN!?!?!

Me: No.........

Mom: Ok I'll do it.

Me: Thanks mommy!

I sprint to the library, login to a computer and check my email. There it is, what I've worked so hard for. I open the file, print it, stable it then sprint back to class to hand it in. All is well and my heart rate slows down and I can finally relax.

Once again I (and by I, I mean my mother) have saved my ass from immanent destruction. However, will it ever be over? Looking at my past history, no. Hopefully, this habit doesn't translate to my professional career. That would be bad, I won't have my mommy to bail me out.

I think I'll have to send her this card the next time she helps me out after I screw up.

The Grammys VS. The Academy Awards

Ah February, my old friend.. Not only are you the shortest, littlest and cutest month of the year, but you are also known as Black History Month. But also, February is when award season begins! Not only does February feature the Grammys which celebrate "excellence" in music, but also the Academy Awards which celebrate those that persevere and achieve excellence on the silver screen.



However, after watching both of these award ceremonies, the question that I constantly ask myself is, "Which one is more of a popularity contest?"

1. Who was the first act that performed at the Grammys? Taylor Swift who is known as one of the most (undeservedly) popular recording artists in the music industry today. And who was the first performed at the Academy Awards? Seth MacFarlane and William Shatner. Two men who by most people's standards are not as popular as Taylor Swift. The Family Guy creator and ex-captain of the starship USS Enterprise, are in no way as popular in mainstream culture as Taylor Swift.

2. The awards that were televised during the Grammys were extremely mainstream. After seeing Gotye win record of the year, Fun win song of the year, and Mumford & Sons win album of the year, it goes to show you how the Grammys are indeed a major popularity contest. All these musicians are some of the most popular artists on Earth. However, the Academy Awards differed from this mentality of acclaiming the popular. For example, When Beasts of the Southern Wild, an relatively unknown and unpopular film is nominated for Best Picture alongside immensely popular films like Life of Pi and Les Miserables, it shows the Academy Awards' true strive for acknowledging excellence.

3. (This one's personal) The Grammys have killed the rock music industry. I know what you're asking yourself, "But Mason, The Black Keys won Best Rock Performance! What are you talking about?" Seriously, ask yourself that question. I'll bring this back to the 80's..

The year is 1982, and Toto's four self-titled album, "Toto IV", wins Album of the Year, Record of the Year and four other Grammys. From this day on, rock and roll became a joke. A band like Toto, who were so undeserving of such prestige and fame were given the highest honor in music. I don't care if you think "Africa" is the best song of all time. I think it is bland nonsense from the 80's.



So without further adieu, ladies and gentlemen, the award for the award ceremony with the largest popularity bias is.......... The Grammys!

While it is evident that The Grammys are more of a popularity contest than The Academy Awards, it is very evident that they both are driven by popularity. To state that popularity does not play a role in deeming what the best film or album of the year is, I would be sorely mistaken. However, there is strong evidence against The Grammys being the true popularity contest.

Writer's Blue-Balls: An Inexplicable Pain

I used to find it easy to write. I would sit down at my desk, put on a Led Zeppelin album and just write. It was easy, the words would flow through my fingers and within a short amount of time, I’d have a nice piece for myself to be proud of. But lately, things haven’t been this way. Writing something for myself to be proud of has become a difficult and arduous task as of late.  

I’ve been in some sort of a rut, I can’t seem to write anything I believe to be “blog-worthy”. Ever since I stopped blogging weekly, I’ve been having this trouble. I just cant seem to put my thoughts down into a coherent piece of writing. My mind moves faster than my fingers as I type, and whatever flashes of brilliance I do have are forgotten instantaneously. 

Now, after sitting on my favorite chair in my living room for the past hour or so, writing a blog about something I don’t really care about, I have once again abandoned another half-written piece of filth. It’s funny actually, I used to pride myself so much on this ability to write that I just thought after not writing consistently for a while, I could just turn it on  once more and write with ease. However, I am evidently wrong. Being a writer, let alone a good writer is a very difficult task. It requires, time, patience, effort and practice.  

With that being said, it is very frustrating to be where I am right now. I’ve hit a wall, a roadblock. I’m stuck in this pit and can’t seem to get out. I try writing about anything that interests me and yet, I just can’t seem to bring myself to do it. You could say I have writer’s blue-balls. Everything I write just seems to have no flow, no rhythm and no point to it whatsoever. Sitting at my desk I re-read what I write only to be frustrated with myself and move onto something else. 

Maybe constantly changing topics isn’t the best idea, but hey, I don’t even know what else to do. What I can say is that this is a humbling experience; it puts you in your place, makes you realize that you’re not so high and mighty as your ego allude you to think. All I will say is that after writing this blog, it’s made me come to terms with my writer’s blue-balls and perhaps, I’ll finally be able to move past this great obstruction. 

Marzipan: My Worst Nightmare

We’ve all been there, you’re given a beautiful box of chocolates only to discover that there is no piece of paper to distinguish what chocolates you’re about to eat. This could be my greatest pet peeve of all time. I despise these careless chocolatiers that do not include a sheet who do not understand the repercussions of this horrid deed. These men and women are my mortal enemies and they do not know the harm they have done me. 

I can still remember to this day that vile moment when I first laid eyes on that chocolate; a perfectly round, dark brown ball of joy. For some reason it was the one chocolate that was calling out to me, as if I had to eat it. Little did I know that this chocolate was pure and utter evil.

 Upon inspection, I picked it up and examined it’s texture. It was smooth and fragile yet felt extremely solid at the same time, as if it had a strong inner core. It’s scent was reminiscent of a blend of cocoa and coffee beans. After holding it in my hand for several moments, it was time to take a bite. This is when it all went wrong. 

With that first, disgusting bite I felt the irritating rush of a sensation my taste buds had never experienced before, it was marzipan. Shocked, I proceeded to chew on the chocolate gagging at every bite. The marzipan’s sticky, pasty and Play Dough-like texture immediately made me want to spit out this vile treat immediately. As the chocolate melted and blended with the marzipan the most horrendous, sludge-like and slimy creation was formed in my mouth, it was pure agony. 

Eventually, I mustered up the courage to swallow this unfortunate mess in my mouth, regretting each and every moment the dreadful morsel of chocolate was inside of me. Once I swallowed, the most horrid and disgusting after-taste of overly-sweet almonds being gang raping poor, innocent chocolate lingered in my mouth. I knew I had to something, I ran to the nearest sink and proceeded to wash the terrible taste from my mouth. After a few swishes of water in my mouth, the nightmare was over. 

Standing in front of my kitchen-sink, I swore to myself I would never let this one go, I vowed to make sure marzipan would get the best of me again. From that day on, I made it my obligation to inform others of the hazards of marzipan and it’s horrid taste. 

To those of you wondering: yes, I am aware that there were people out there who actually liked marzipan. However, that is their opinion and this is my opinion. I hate marzipan and can honestly say that I would not wish it on even the most heinous of people, for it is truly that horrible. 

CEGEP: The Education System's Meat Grinder

CEGEP, is it all we really expected it to be? Honestly, I don’t think I can really answer that question. As I go through my fourth and final semester at Marianopolis, it feels like these two years have gone by far too quickly. I remember my first day of CEGEP like it was yesterday, as cliche as that may sound. But in reality it was so long ago. Hell, I’ve even modeled for Marianopolis. Yes, that’s me in the Led Zeppelin t-shirt on the page for the science program in the school’s brochure, despite the fact I am not a science student. I guess I just fit the image they were looking for. 

The speed I've gone through CEGEP makes me wonder if I’ve changed significantly as a person since high-school. I’d like to think I haven’t changed much since graduating high school, but thats rather unlikely when you think about it. As people age and learn new things, they change. It’s bound to happen. Some change for the worse and some change for the better. The problem is, I don’t know how I’ve changed so far. 

While I can say that I’ve learned a lot while studying at Marianopolis, I can also say that I’ve forgotten a lot of what I’ve learned here as well. This is my main peeve with how CEGEP works. We are forced to cram tons of information into our fragile, eggshell minds until they eventually crack and we are overloaded with information that may never be useful to us throughout our entire lives. Personally, I often find myself in a state of delirium towards the end of exam period. I’ve written countless essays, completed several test and exams and consumed several gallons of coffee to do so. And this ladies and gentleman is what’s wrong with our education system. 

Now, I’m just one man, but I do have an opinion. The way I see it is that when you are forced to learn all this information, synthesize it temporarily, write a test or an essay on said information, then immediately forget what we’ve learned, only to repeat the process over and over again, the whole cycle is a little obscene, no? Of course it isn’t! After all, the Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur, de la Recherche, de la Science et de la Technologie knows what’s best for us don’t they? I mean, they must right? These guys have one purpose and it’s to make sure that the minds of Quebec’s young student population is properly enriched and educated so that we may go out and change the world. What I can tell you from firsthand experience as that it does just the opposite. It overwhelms us and forces us to panic. It weeds out those of us that can handle the pressure and survive, and it throws those that can’t handle the pressure out into the street to shrivel up and die. 

Without a doubt, what CEGEP truly goes to show us that the sole purpose the Quebec government puts us through CEGEP is to get rid of the intellectually weak. Through putting us into CEGEP, the Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur, de la Recherche, de la Science et de la Technologie is ssentially trimming the fat off the piece of meat that we are collectively. Only the strong survive. And this ladies and gentleman is why CEGEP is the downfall of the Quebec education system. We are molded and manipulated, and I for one have had enough of this nonsense. I know every single CEGEP student can relate to what I've just said. Hopefully, we can be the change we want to see. 

Stay thirsty my friends,

-Moose 

What A Long Strange Trip It's Been

Hello my friends, I am Mason and this is my creative non-fiction blog. I can't really tell you what to expect from me but what I can tell you is that I am a blogger and have been a blogger for quite a while. I used to blog frequently but lately, I have not been blogging. I guess I've lost the fire in my belly. Perhaps now is the time to make my triumphant return back to the blogosphere. But hey, who knows if I'll actually make a comeback. Like Bruce Wayne/Batman in the move "The Dark Knight Rises", I will return from my hiatus and save you all from your dull, boring lives. By the way, I'm not a big douchebag. This was a joke and I don't see myself as highly as you might think. In fact, I attempt to be as down to Earth as possible, so if I ever say anything that's out of line, don't be afraid to give me a bit of shit. Everyone needs to be put in there place once in a while. So please, sit back enjoy the ride and stay thirsty my friends.