AC

August 13, 2010
The myth. The Legend. Atlantic City. Saying I went to AC is a bit misleading since we didn't leave the Tropicana Resort for more than five minutes, a brief foray into a somehow unnatural natural beach environment that felt awkward and uncomfortable from the moment we left "the bubble"; an artificial world with rules and lives that exist only within the cubic volume of highly conditioned air. It was not my first time in a casino, but it was the first time I have been in the company of casino royalty and treated as such. Eric is a gambler and…

Reading “books”

August 9, 2010
Summer always affords good book reading opportunities, and I have bolted through a few in the past month. My first journey was into The Change with "Dies The Fire", a sci-fi novel taking place in 1998 from moments before a cataclysmic event which renders all engines, electronics and explosives useless. The aftermath is brutal; a struggle to survive in a suddenly lawless world, described precisely by S.M. Stirling. I look forward to continuing this series... "The Beach" by Alex Garland is another world of savagery that festers then erupts on a utopian tropical wonderland and was a huge challenge to…

And it’s only August 3rd!

August 3, 2010
I hate to brag, but this summer has been one of my best ever. The past month was pure chill, with European adventure and Vermont bliss. My last entry came just after our Italian leg, which was followed by two weeks in Catalonia, visiting the Bucklands in Barcelona and Borde Neuve. Surrounded by Americans, but soaking in Spanish and French culture, eating beautiful food and drinking local -- as in backyard -- wine. In Barcelona, Kevin introduced us to the squat scene, a truly bohemian free lifestyle, and I met up with two women who used to be au pairs…

Italia!

July 14, 2010
Today I sit in a beautiful apartment in Barcelona, Spain, where Alaina and I arrived last night after spending 8 fantastic days in my homeland away from home, Italy. An invitation from a friend to spend a week at his house on the island of Elba is never to be turned down, and so our summer plans were set in motion; a week on Elba became three weeks in Europe, hitting all of our friends and family on the continent... When I enrolled at Middlebury, I knew that I wanted to take advantage of their incredible language program and Italian…

Knot theory

July 2, 2010
No matter how neatly I try to wrap them, my earphones always become the most tangled clump of wires they possibly could. In searching for an explanation for this maddening phenomenon, I researched knot theory and learned a bit about Topology. There was also pretty pictures. Inspired by the more than 6 billion tabulated knots that can be constructed from an unbroken circle, I composed some rhythmic knots in 5/4 and 7/4 time... Restlessness Pure

Time Flies When You’re Having Fun

July 1, 2010
To look at my last post, written two weeks ago at the cabin in Maine and consider describing all that has happened since then is too daunting a task, so we are going to the abridged and illustrated notes instead: Caitlin/Sam engagement party -camping and partying at beautiful Reiche property in Freeport, Me Tuna Boat with Andrew and Will -Many tuna seen, but none that wanted any piece of our deadly trap... Land Party -camping and partying at beautiful Buckland property in Warwick, NY The weekend of my year has begun and it has been an incredible vacation so far.…

Do you love disappointment? Try Sports!

June 18, 2010
Last night was as hard as it comes to be a fan; Game 7 loss to the Lakers, collapsing in the second half and reminding Beantowners of our dour pessimistic hard-loss character. It is always hardest to lose when winning is closest, in a game or in a season, and almost makes me wish they had blown their chances months ago so I could have avoided all the recent trauma... But I guess its more about the thrill of potential victory than victory itself that makes sports fun. How else could it be that people continue to invest their time,…

World Cup!

June 13, 2010
Football fever! The greatest tournament in the world has returned and my eyes are glued to the TV. I have been watching excessive hockey and basketball playoffs, as well as plenty of baseball recently, but these games seem insignificant compared to the global stage of the quadrennial soccer tournament. The simplicity of the sport makes for great viewing, placing the athleticism of the competitors in focus and the game structure, two uninterrupted halves, limits our exposure to the dreaded corporate advertising that dominates American sports; how glorious to feel like a fan instead of a consumer! The games are being…

Love Is No Laughing Matter

June 2, 2010
Our Lifetime Movie is complete! Our amazingly talented group of friends, led by director and editor Michael Civins, wrote and starred in our very own Lifetime-channel inspired movie. It is the story of Rebecca, a girl in an abusive relationship, finding her voice as a stand-up comedian. I play Charles, the wheelchair-bound "sit-down" comedian who spreads the wings of Rebecca's dreams... Love Is No Laughing Matter

Rhapsodic Love

June 2, 2010
In the month that I have subscribed to it, Rhapsody has improved my life two main ways; in class, whenever a student mentions a song, I can almost always cue it up immediately and create a lesson around it (they believe I am a sorcerer) and in the car, where i can drive for hours and never hear a song I've heard before. My six hour drive home from the Cape seemed shorter for my playlist, which was built from albums in the "New This Week" section, including Jack Johnson, LCD Soundsystem, Black Keys, Band of Horses and The National.…