Music Isn't Ever Created, Just Borrowed and Improved Upon

Coldplay's frontman Chris Martin once said, "I don’t think you can say we’re that original. I regard us as being incredibly good plagiarists.”

I imagine he was just trying to be clever, but quite a few people got upset about that soundbite. Coldplay even got slapped on the wrist for copyright infringement later.

But if you play an instrument, you know what I'm talking about. John Mayer takes licks from old Clapton recordings, which Clapton had taken from Robert Johnson in the first place. As for Robert Johnson? He sold his soul to the devil, apparently. Whether you believe in the superstitious part of the 27 Club or not, this site says a Liverpool University found that musicians more frequently at age 27 than any other age.

I couldn't find the original study, but I find myself believing it regardless. Musicians are young, hip, and often iconoclastic. 27 seems the right age at which this personality starts to clash with the fact that they're getting older. The resultant emotional instability might be just enough to send a wild rock & roller to party just a little too hard -- and choke on his vomit like Morrison or Hendrix. Whereas the deaths of those two were never proved to be resultant of emotional stress, you have guys like Kurt Cobain.

Anyways, the 27 Club made damn good music. Here's a song to commemorate them. It's one of my favorites:

Home At Last

Arrived at home in PA last night. Woke up and realized my schedule is as empty as the promise of a united Korea. The only thing I have to till I go back to school on the 15th is not be bored. Shouldn't be too hard; I have this.

After eating an omlette and some yogurt to keep my gut happy, I meandered around the internets for a while. If I'm to believe what I read, it turns out that:

- It doesn't matter if you're parents are gay, you'll turn out ok

- Lithium has potential to be a panacea (at least for psychological diseases) but since it's not profitable for pharmaceutical companies, we don't study it
- Political views are hard-wired in your brain (take this with a grain of salt...)

I then came across this comic, which hit way too close to home... I'm going to go do something productive for a while.

Still Stuck In Cape Cod

Because of this storm. (Thankfully not this one.)


Interesting Links:


What would happen if a jet hit the wall of a nuclear containment building at 500mph? This.

Confederate Message In A Bottle

I found this to be a more fascinating glimpse of 2010 than Time's Person of the Year award

A better alternative to the War On Drugs?

Close Call

Inaugural Post

In New England for Christmas. Stuck indoors thanks to a blizzard, so I'm watching the Patriots and watching random Youtube videos. In other words, living the American Dream.

Lions! Ft. Tigers and Bears.



Trippy Animation, Trippy Music:


Man In Wheel Chair With Anger Issues:


Really Really Really Sweet Beatboxing:



Interesting Links:

An unsanitised history of washing

The Big (Military) Taboo

Bees & Quantum Mechanics