Dreams of an EDMhead

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There's a rumor that because it's the 15th year anniversary (2013) of the Ultra Music Festival - with the largest turn out ever - the city will actually sink into the Atlantic Ocean from over 200,000 feet pounding on the streets of downtown Miami.

You're lucky if you went to the grocery on time...

It's been written about in excess this past week.  The recent blizzard, Nemo, attacked the North East with over 4-5 inches of snow per hour at some points in the night.

I woke up Friday morning at my friend Georgia's home (desperately hoping my French exam would be cancelled) to three inches of snow falling already.  There were definitely no looks of it letting up.  After slugging down a few cups of coffee, I read over my notes and drove to class, which I can say was a complete success in my '98 Subaru Legacy Outback.

My 9.30 AM test ended at 10.20.  I left my classroom and napped for a while.  When I woke up at least a foot of snow was on the ground.  We were stuck!

The two houses of girls next door to us decided to come over and brace together for the Snow-pocalypse.

In total, six states declared a state of emergency, with over 5,000 flights cancelled due to the major airports in New York and Boston.  Never mind the flights, people couldn't even get out to the grocery.  It's known that these stores have the longest hours, especially the commercial - but evermore local - Stop & Shop in town.  I went on Thursday afternoon right after my class got out.  Was I thinking about prime grocery shopping time?  Of course I don't think of those things.  The place was packed.  Moms, dragging their kids around, Grandmas dragging their husbands around, and a few leftover college students getting their last fresh veggies before the lock in.

The Fairfield Stop & Shop was open until the night of the storm and unable to open on Saturday.  Hopefully no one was stuck.  I can only imagine how packed it was when the lot finally got plowed.

Some pictures taken of the snow.   The pictures were taken on the Sunday after Nemo hit.  Fairfield County and New Haven area got pounded with around 35-40 inches of snow.

Friday Morning: The biggest waves the LIS has ever seen.

Cars in a bit of snow

Ms. Smalley's car: Covered not only by snowfall

Fairfield University townhouses under snow

Again, Ms. Smalley's car

Photography by Gabriel Sacco

Should we be prepared for more snow?

Yes, of course we should it's February.  As a matter of fact it's supposed to snow again on Saturday.  The clouds should hit not so much on the coast, but rather on land.  Out in Oklahoma, the predications are the same as Fairfield county - a mere one to three inches.  Hopefully it melts right as it touches down.  West Virginia is predicted to have the most accumulation - as much as three to six inches.

Although most of local tots are looking to get a fresh covering over the newly soiled snow, I can guarantee the majority of their parents are annoyed due to the fact that this is our third socially-debilitating storm of the season.

"Your first resort, and your last!"

I woke up to a sprinkle of unexpected snow on the ground, grabbed a cup of coffee (I've recently been scooping my roommates's Starbuck's dark roast in to the coffee maker -- I'm hooked), and sat down to flip through an old issue of "The Economist" when I came across a short promo on Hell.

I've always enjoyed reading "The Economist" not only for the international news that is very well covered, but also because every so often they do things like this:

"A very rough guide"

Due to our dying use of religion and increase reliance and faith in government, "The Economist" rightly published this flyer.  Why not create ads to save their economy?  It could be the best thing they do.

My favorite quote: "Money may well be the reason you are here especially if you come from Cahors, the city of usurers, or worked for Lehman Brothers.  But don't bring cash or cards, unless you want them melted down and poured into your mouth through a funnel."

Mark Twain On Travel

As a huge promoter of travel, I find this illustrated Mark Twain quote on travel fully explains the elimination of “prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness” that we all deserve.

Why Travel?  In my opinion, I shouldn’t have to explain.  Not only does it open our minds, but gives us soul and personality.  Our minds take in so much information every minute.  Contradicting this last statement – we see similar things every day, especially in the Tri-state area.  So why not travel?  Why not simply take a trip as short as driving to eastern PA or Upstate NY?  The more information our brains take in on culture, the better.

You might hate it and you might love it, but I know it’s certain that your travels will only develop your person so much more.  Travel gives us something to relate to, talk about, and a sense of adventurism.

Why do I travel?  To find out why people do the things they do.

As cliché as it sounds, I love that feeling of the unknown.  Making last minute decisions on pretty important issues is my contemporary “Goonies” scenario.  I usually develop Cranky Baby Syndrome if I’m not able to travel for a while.

Ultimate traveler and naturalist Cody Lundin poses for his own blog photo.  “The more you know, The less you need”.  He travels the wild barefoot, not having worn shoes since the 1980’s.

I find the idea of illustrating these monumental quotes as super helpful.  It seems as if reading simple humor or satire while determining the deeper ties to theory and thought – as Mark Twain’s style conveys – is becoming increasingly difficult as we move further and further from that era.  The bright colors of Than’s work captures the eye and aids us in finding the reason these words were written.

The illustrator’s (Gavin Aung Than) passion lies fully in cartooning and illustration.  With a background in graphic design, Than has over 400 published comic strips including two long-running pieces.  From simply visiting his website after I found this strip, I found a compilation of comics running from quote illustrations like this one to traditional published newspaper strips.

In between it all he expresses situations dealing with relationships, sporting and political events, globalization, society and the all-relatable stresses of human life.  The characters range from a huge medium of personalities and forms including monsters, superheroes, and of course human-toons.

Than’s Website: http://gavinaungthan.com/

Happy New Year

This past year, marked as twenty-twelve, has passed.  I find myself saddened, but excited in a bittersweet farewell, accompanied by an equally bittersweet hello to twenty-thirteen.

The thirteenth year of the century brought unparalleled skepticism even before the New Year commenced.  But who are we to blame?  Our ancestors who abided by the code of Hammurabi omitted a thirteenth law in suspicion.  The number and date (Friday the 13^th) has been deemed unlucky by the Babylonians since before 1772 BCE when the code was introduced.

What does that mean?  To me, ‘unlucky’ means nothing.  The only thing I can imagine as I sit waiting for class to start is how Hammurabi, young successor to his father’s key to Babylon, loathed the 13^th day because of his losing lotto numbers.

Through the ages Christians, Vikings, and Persians didn’t settle well with having a 13^th number.  Why can’t we omit it from the Arabic system?  Will 14 be the new 13 if we do?

Triskaidekaphobia is what it’s called – a fear of the number 13. 

To my own dismay Ireland seems to be the new contender in the fight against 13. In Ireland, just like in any nation, cars of the 2013 model are required to be registered by the government. Independent.ie reporters Padraic Deane and Allison Bray wrote in August 2012 that the New Year would diminish car sales and registration of cars simply due to the fact that the number 13 will be printed on new plates.  Could government law actually be changed due to superstition?

Apparently yes, it can.  License plates registered in the first six months of the year will show ‘131’, and if registered within the second six months of the year will show ‘132’.

“Superstition over the number 13 could also have a serious impact on the sale of new cars by owners who fear it will bring about bad luck or accidents…” said the reporters.

It seems as if the entire nation of Ireland has finally took triskaidekaphobia too far. 

The number 13 has always been by favorite number.   I was born on the 13^th of November, and I have never been afraid of the number.

I say down with the suspicion of the number 13.

I am skeptical of 2013 as a year, though.

This special year marks the graduation of Fairfield University class of 2013.  I haven’t the slightest clue on what or where I’ll be in near future.  Who’s to say that the brutish working world won’t drag me to the depths of hell?

My ultimate skepticism of 2013 draws attention to my professional life and future goals.  I’m striving to graduate with a degree in International Studies and Politics, with a minor in Biology.  With interests in international journalism and photography, my new year’s resolution is to use this blog to share my experiences with up to date news.

By surfing the web and pulling from this final semester’s university experiences I can only hope to produce something useful to my readers.

Wish me luck, as I do all of you who are in my position.  I hope you enjoy.