by Lennox Truman

(the following article is based on the above video from "Conan".)

I started college about a month ago. Any new environment, be it a new job or new school or new apartment, brings with it some dreaded social demands. You have to shake hands, work your facial muscles with fake smile after fake smile, and struggle through the standard pleasantries (“Where are you from?” “What are you studying?” “Tell me more about that mole on your face.”;). For some this comes easy, though I tend to think those people are either sociopaths or just some advanced humanoid breed that I both envy and resent. For most, though, these situations of big rooms with big groups of strangers produce at least some anxiety. It’s a constant battle against awkwardness or, worse, humiliation. You want to make an impression. You want to not seem like a weirdo. You want to be liked.

These new settings are bearable for a little bit, but in most cases the novelty lingers. At (in my case) schools with big, far-flung campuses, you’re constantly meeting new people and you’re constantly engaging in these “social demands.” You’re always forgetting someone’s name and you always feel like your name is forgotten too. You don’t want to wave to a certain person you recognize when they pass by because you know you have a weirdly good facial memory and that they probably don’t remember you.

Basically, what I’m trying to say is it’s so easy to want to curl up with your phone and tune it all out. You don’t have to shake hands with your phone. You don’t have to wave at your phone (though I guess you could if you really want people to avoid you). Your phone always remembers your name, which is especially awesome when you’ve told Siri to call you Lana Del Ray Lewis for the foreseeable future. There’s no work involved. And it’s great because when you’re on your phone, no one goes near you. They know you’re either checking social media, texting a friend, sending cheerful texts to yourself, tweeting about funerals, or writing “apply antiperspirant!!!” in your Reminders app.

So, while I agree with Louis’s general thesis in the video above (especially in regards to giving little kids smartphones, which is horrifying), I think there can be a balance. Silence is great. Being alone is great. Being alone without the thought of “why isn’t that Olive Garden tweet getting favorited? people love Olive Garden jokes” is freeing, pure, and wonderful. Most of the time. But there is some camaraderie in the little world that resides inside the hunk of metal you carry with you everywhere. In my experience at least, you can tailor your experience completely. In some ways, there can be a meditative quality to scrolling through your Twitter feed (this probably doesn’t apply to Facebook unless you find inner peace by seeing pictures of your “friends” from high schools’ new tattoos). You can be informed. You can laugh. Maybe it even provokes a thought or something. You aren’t looking at nothing. You aren’t texting “hi” to your friends, necessarily. What you are doing is engaging in the weird, 2013-version of “reading the paper with breakfast.” To suggest that looking at your phone means you’re automatically doing something vacuous is kind of ridiculous.

And although Louis is completely right when he says that actually feeling sadness or loneliness or alienation is something we’re lucky to experience as humans, a balance is possible. Sometimes it’s nice to know that somewhere ― maybe halfway across the world ― someone is hearing what you’re saying. They’re calling you by your name (or your fake internet name). They think you’re funny when few people outside of your phone do. They maybe even care about you. To use this “world” as a substitute for actually living would be to piss away the really cool-as-heck gift of being alive. But as a supplement to your life? I think it’s completely healthy and doesn’t have to turn you into a monster.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, the cops are at my door because they heard I challenged the brilliance of Louis CK. Write to me in prison, guys.

by Mctangle

Way back in September 2012, Dredd slipped under the critical radar – way under. It pounded out a resounding 59/100 on Metacritic, and I didn’t feast my eyes upon the merciless justice-fest until early 2013; by which time I’d missed the opportunity to have my cash ripped from the loving bosom of my wallet by the local cinema – what we Old Empire folk call a theatre. Dredd is one of my favorite movies, I’ve seen it a staggering TWELVE times to date, and this is my opportunity to justify my insanity.

Dredd tells the tale of one Joe Dredd, played by the excellently gruff Karl Urban. A Judge in the dystopian Mega City One – a vast city of 800 million stretching across the eastern seaboard of the former United States – with the power to act as judge, jury and executioner for the 17,000 crimes reported per day. Dredd is tasked with the training of a rookie by the name of Anderson, played by the particularly aesthetically pleasing Olivia Thirlby, as she – a Judge Academy dropout mutated by radiation near the external wall of Mega City One – struggles to survive in the brutal environment of the ‘New World’. The film portrays Dredd as a rough, gruff lawmaker who is undeniably analogous to Christian Bale’s role as Batman in The Dark Knight. With a voice that sounds like he ate a bowlful of gravel for breakfast, without any milk, and with an attitude to boot, it’s not hard to see why our antagonist fills the steel-toed boots of Official Badass in this face-blasting outing.

One reason why I find Dredd so satisfying to watch is that the action scenes – spread throughout the movie gratuitously – are equal parts brutal and cathartic. Dredd and Anderson’s signature Lawgiver pistols have a distinctive low ‘thunk’ that compliments the inevitable fleshy squelch of a shot on target perfectly, and the hardened veteran played by Urban makes the whole experience seem trivial.  Headshots and kneecapping are abundant in this iteration of the Dredd fiction, the myriad types of ammunition used by the pistols and the seemingly endless supply of goons provide ample target practice for our oddly ambivalent hero and his newly-found sidekick. The oversaturated scenes provide a clear demarcation line between standard film and 3D-gimmick-media, although in full HD these still present a visual treat. The film makes excessive use of slow-motion shots through the aptly-named ‘Slow-Mo’ drug, the primary vice of the films antagonist, Ma-Ma. These scenes, although clearly made for the enjoyment of exploitable cinema-goers, provide much pleasure in the form of twinkling glass effects and hyper-gore bullet wounds.

The entire film is reminiscent of ‘The Raid: Redemption’, an undeniably excellent Indonesian action film from September 2011 that I will no doubt be revisiting in the near future. The film caught significant critical flak due to its similarities to The Raid, including the use of main characters working vertically up an apartment block in search of the antagonist; however Dredd does enough to differentiate itself from a cheap copycat to earn my vote of confidence. The sense of isolation is highlighted in multiple scenes where Dredd’s expertise with death-dealing comes into play to turn the odds in the dynamic duo’s favour, and the viewer will never lose sight of the fact that Dredd is a lawmaker above all else, with just a small part to play in the rich fiction of the anarchic universe.

Unlike many pop-culture adaptations of stories, Dredd does a lot to appeal to the hardcore fanbase of 2000 A.D. comic book veterans. Numerous references to both the 1995 Stallone film and the comics themselves are evident in the opening scene with more subtle references – like the setting of the film, Peach Trees, unveiling themselves as the movie presses on. And presses on it does, the brutal action only giving way to abrupt dialogue at the mercy of the impatient Dredd, who wishes only to see justice done in the most efficient way possible. Eventually bending to the insistent protests of Anderson the fan-service side of Joe Dredd is revealed later in the movie – the side that is forced to make tough, subjective decisions based on the law and circumstances on a daily basis. There is much to critique about this movie, sloppy scriptwriting and bad camera cuts result in the film taking place inside a building where every floor is an alleged 16 feet tall and where Dredd’s actions directly contradict what is being shown on screen; but these errors are semantics when held up to the light and inspected for what the film really is – a delightful blood-stained romp up 200 floors of fetid super-apartments.

Saving Private Ryan, it ain’t. But as my go-to choice for a straightforward action film, the hat fits. Dredd is a film that will keep me coming back time and time again, if not for the hints of exposition that coerced me into reading the comics – the first 50 at least – then for the relentless and idealistic pursuit of justice that has kept Joe Dredd at the pinnacle of the British comic scene for 36 years. The film sets out as a small part of an already well-established fiction, and concludes as just that, far from the three-hour epics and emotionally resonant storylines of other comic book films; notably Watchmen, Dredd is – above all else – a modest affair. Unexpected characters add to the mix of a seemingly predictable story, some minor ulterior motives and an excellent iteration of Dredd’s iconic ‘I am the law’ catchphrase provide just a hint of spice to what would ordinarily be a run-of-the-mill death-fest. It might not be the greatest movie ever made, but it’s certainly up there in a list of my all-time favourites.

                8/10

Full Disclosure: After I’d seen Dredd six or seven times, I took a short trip off to London, whereupon I found a 50-issue anthology of the Dredd comics in an off-the-beaten-track comic store. Having both seen the movie well in advance of this review and read the comics, I cannot be said to be totally unbiased, as my love for the rich Dredd fiction is not well camouflaged in this review. Please bear in mind that no review is totally impartial, and that this is simply the honest view of one irrelevant amateur in a sea of competent professionals.

    by Sean Yeatts      

         Those amongst us with even a modicum of self-awareness know that the last thing anyone really needs is unsolicited relationship advice.  This is true simply because people are a disparate, nuanced lot and so is every romance.  Like snowflakes, no two relationships are exactly the same; any bond between a couple is unique with its own flaws, patterns and rhythms exclusive to them and what ultimately binds their union.  Relationships are also very difficult to judge considering that some lovers fight all the time but make beautiful love when no one’s looking, while still other relationships somehow retain an aura invincible perfection (public intimacy, rare disagreements) but when examined closely, what the couple has between them comes off as empty and as vacuous as Kim Kardashian’s frontal lobe. 

            Other questions can arise when wading through these complexities, like ‘why would you assume anyone gives a crap about your opinion on the matter?’ or ‘why would you believe your advice is thoughtful when you probably only know half the story,’ or ‘what the hell makes you expert enough to actually think you’re dispensing wisdom instead of generic rubbish?’  I’ve stared these questions down long enough to know that I don’t have the answers and won’t claim to, but when it comes down to it, experience is our only parachute and when given a chance, a person of grace and empathy will, without thinking twice, share their parachute if ever faced with the choice.

I myself had recently gone through a bitter and hurtful breakup with a girl I was with for nearly two years.  It was a passionate yet difficult relationship but what we shared between us was particularly intense because we cared about each other as much as we hated each other (that’s love folks).  And when it ended, it was very difficult because even though we knew we weren’t right for one another, the breakup was almost impossible to rationalize emotionally.  My passions went from breathing fire to breathing collapse and defeat; an end of a love affair masked as the end times.

But it really wasn’t the end and since I wasn’t a crippling alcoholic or a self-destructive drug addict (anymore), there was no choice but to pick up the pieces and move on with time and patience as my most reliable allies.  Patience is a virtue (which is probably why I have so little of it) and time would be far more tolerable if I were equipped with a fast forward button to get me through the bad moments, especially when they came off as ubiquitous and so inescapable.  I made it through though, without suffering a nervous breakdown, wavering between undiagnosed psychoses or getting arrested for disorderly conduct or public indecency.  A miracle of miracles!

Now I know the only thing worse than giving out unsolicited relationship advice is offering up unsolicited advice on moving on after an acrimonious breakup.  Who needs it, when the heart heals on its own and at its own pace?  But I wouldn’t call what I’m offering advice.  I consider them suggestions more than anything; a handful of actions and exercises I embraced on my own that helped see me through the turbulent times.  What follows are my tips, take them or leave them, on how to stop worrying and learn to love the breakup.

First of all, an idle personality can be dangerous so don’t just wallow in self-pity, go out and find some fun hobbies and other new and exciting ways to pass the time.  To relax, I’ve always enjoyed going to the gym for a good workout, listening to music or just sitting back with a couple of cocktails while watching a movie or a game.  After a while though, you may find it increasingly repetitive to engage in the same things over and over again, especially when constantly doing them by yourself; so do like I did and take it a step further by going out and meeting new people.  You can do this quickly by attending events that interest you and getting involved in organizations where you feel your mere association can make a lasting impact.  The Ku Klux Klan, The New Black Panther Party, Al-Qaeda, the Aryan Nation, along with numerous other gangs and cults are always looking to expand by recruiting new members and supporters.   Groups like these tend to host numerous gatherings every few weeks or months and can sometimes have an international following therefore they provide myriad opportunities to meet a lot of new friends and maybe your next significant other.  Months after my breakup, I decided to join a heretical coven of Pentecostal snake handlers and though it led to multiple hospitalizations (including one venomous bite to my left eyeball that put me in a coma for weeks), that step forward did help me make quite a few lasting friendships along with retrieving more than a few phone numbers on the way.

Second, you have to constantly look inwards to keep your self-esteem healthy and strong.  Let your character decide your fate by not allowing the end of a romance to crush your spirits or define who you are; easier said than done I know, but there are a number of things you can effectively do to keep your spirits high and your self-esteem even higher.  Show everyone you’re still winning at this game of life by always keeping yourself hygienic, dressing for success and sharing a smile every chance you can.  If that’s not enough to help you keep feeling good about who you are, you can always do what I did and find some time during your day to send hate mail to well-known celebrities or take a few moments to bully someone noticeably weaker than you (Sean’s tip: tiny Asian women rarely hit back after you’ve started a fight with them).  Sometimes it’s little victories like these that help me go to sleep at night touched by an inimitable sense of self-satisfaction. 

My third suggestion is always try your hardest to hold onto a positive outlook.  I believe in the power of positive thinking and that’s why you should let the good ideas flow while letting the bad feelings go.  This is the unseen path towards enlightenment and one way to achieve this is by dispensing of negative influences or anything else that makes your outlook any bleaker than it’s already been.  How is this done?  One strategy I embraced was not letting myself get bogged down with the morose music of luminaries like ‘Joy Division’ or Adele; instead I kept the rhythm of life upbeat by spending most mornings, afternoons and evenings listening to the music of Gloria Estefan.  Start jammin’ to the club beats of “Conga,” or blasting “The Rhythm is Gonna Get You” over and over again and believe me, you’ll immediately start to feel that life’s about to get a whole lot spicier.  (Warning: after a few days of listening to nothing but Gloria Estefan songs, you may discover blood in your urine or stool.  Consult your physician).

Fourthly, you should shake things up by getting out of your comfort zone to go out and explore the great world around you.  Or, as Bill Murray put in the movie “What About Bob?,” you should try “taking a vacation from [your] problems.”  A nice long holiday in a relaxed setting or even just a weekend away to a nearby winery can do a lot to reduce your stress level and ease your current worries.  After my breakup, I lapped up some opportunities to go abroad by spending a few weeks backpacking through Europe and then a little time on the beaches of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.  These were wonderful and exciting experiences that helped me deal with the emotional weight of the breakup because when I wasn’t exploring world heritage sites or discovering new foods and cultures, I got to spend my downtime happily writing my ex-girlfriend’s name and phone number on bathroom stalls and alongside inner city graffiti so everyone would know who to call if they’re looking for a good-time slut whose sole contribution to society is spreading open her whore legs.  That right there is some therapy that works folks. 

            My fifth and last point is that you just be creative and keep an open-mind when it comes to filling your days with fun again.  Of course, you should try doing all the points I previously mentioned but then take it a step further by carving out something new and exciting for you.  Look deep inside yourself and think hard about how you can take a bad situation and turn it into something fulfilling, even rewarding.  Be that deep longing soul in search of catharsis, never easy, but quite attainable.  This may take days, weeks, even months of soul-searching for that je ne sais quoi, but trust that your intuition will let you know once you’ve found it.   In truth, things didn’t really start turning around for me emotionally until I found out my ex-girlfriend had moved on and was already dating a new guy.  I knew right then that I had to quit looking back because that wasn’t the direction I wanted to go.  Instead of letting myself be controlled and manipulated by the past, it was time to take control of my present in order to shape and mold my future.  I did this by researching everything I could about my ex’s new flame: who he was, where he came from and what he did.  I spent hours online and at city hall gathering information to forge a profile of this guy I’d never even met.  I then set time aside everyday to disguise myself in order to follow them around whenever they were together; I did this for weeks so I could observe their blossoming relationship up close without either one of them ever suspecting a thing.  After months of reconnaissance research and information gathering, I was finally able to implement my master plan where I framed her new boyfriend for two different hate crimes and a liquor store robbery.  It took a lot of work and a lot of focus but I finally felt like I was ready to move on after her new boyfriend was falsely convicted on all charges and is currently serving 15-20 years in a federal penitentiary.  Even better was that these events concurrently humiliated my ex-girlfriend and ruined her life.  Je ne sais quoi my friends, truly je ne sais quoi. 

            Ever since then, things have been getting back to normal for me and I feel like I’m almost ready to throw myself back into the dating world.  I understand everyone is different, but these five suggestions are what worked for me and there’s a chance they may also work for you.  So think about each of these points and give them a chance after your next calamitous relationship ends and you may be able to get through it all with little fuss or muss and in time, just like me, you might just be crying yourself to sleep a whole lot less.

by Glenn Rose

It’s not often that anyone in the music scene I like comes out of my city/area. I live in Virginia Beach and we’re the hometown of: Timbaland, Pharrel, Missy Elliot, and Trey Songz, so we definitely have a hip hop presence in the area, but the Last Bison has broken our streak on bands making it to the bigger time being hip hop music. They are large sounding indie folk music and it makes sense why they’d be big sounding seeing as they have seven members in the group that all play different instruments. This band is pretty “new” but they seem to have a very tight bond between them, maybe because three of the members are related (dad, son, and daughter, and mother as the manager). Music now, especially in the indie genre are content with standing still and not interacting with one another. The Last Bison decided that wasn’t for them. You have to see them to fully appreciate the way they preform together. Just take a look at them, and it is clear to see that they are a group of family and friends preforming music that they love, that has a positive message along with it.

Now clearly I’m from the streets and only listen to the hardest of rap music (DMX is a wuss) and this group of folky guys and gals that dress up in clothes from the 1800s shouldn’t usually be my scene, but I gave them a chance last year and let me tell you, I was not disappointed. There’s something to be said about bands that step just far enough away from a growing genre and make it their own. If you haven’t heard of them yet, go look up their album Inheritance and buy it ASAP.

by YouTurnMeJon

The concept and evolution of comedy is, in itself, humorous. What makes another human laugh has drastically changed, evolving, for the better or worse, from its nascence. Today, as evidenced, at least on the twitter world, humor is defined by wackiness: the unexpected, the crass, the purposefully callous. A disregard for human emotion sparks a particular neuron in the cerebral cortex, and oddly enough, we laugh. It seems as if the notion of “funny” has regressed since the Shakespearean era. Shakespearean-time critics classified puns and wordplay as the “lowest form of comedy”, but, personally, as a wordsmith (excuse my apparent lack of humbleness) in today’s world, I couldn’t imagine quick wit ranking beneath the likes of “420” jokes and other inanities. A careful balance is necessary: one must carefully pull the listeners nerve by brushing against the controversial, but also must retain a portion of morality, a conscience that keeps the toe on the line, and no further. Few are capable of producing true humor, Im certainly not one of them, but Crushingbort, Mattytalks, Leyawn, Brendle_what, and Bro_Pair to name a few, can. Puns and wordplay elicit more a Eureka moment than genuine laughter, although the satisfaction is the same. Many others attempt wordplay for this very reason. Some consider puns the easy way out, although I obviously disagree. But I digress. As little as I know, and the little reputation that my name carries, I can offer a few words of “wisdom” (I use the word lightly). In general, know the audience, and do not push their nerve farther than necessary. Do not cross the line, and do not acquire a negative reputation from simply one slip-up. Secondly, do not set a precedent for yourself that you cannot stay straight to. You certainly shouldn’t begin with social satire and then after a few easy criticisms of easy targets, such as Miley Cyrus (I exhale loudly as I type that cursed name), find yourself floundering for more engaging topics. Finally, as in every hobby, or so you call it, know your strengths, and stick with them. My strength most likely isn’t writing articles analyzing the intangibility that is comedy, but I’m glad that you (maybe), did stick with me through these 400 or so laborious words. Until next time, keep your eye on the clock.

Regards, my target demographic,

Jon

by Matt Medina

Oh boy Oh boy, we are back and in full swing. Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls: gather round and let me start talkin' talkies! I am Matt Medina and I am pleased to talk to you guys again. SO, without further rambles here is my Talkie this week.

This week The Editor n' Chief of our beloved NEON EAGLE wanted me to do a retrospective on any movie that I chose. The movie that I picked was the Kung-Fu classic 'Big Boss' (or Fist of Fury if you aren’t familiar with the OG name). Well where do I start.....Ah yes IM A HUGE FUCKING BRUCE LEE FAN!!!!!! I love all of his movies, yes even Game Of Death but the only reason I like it is because of the ridiculous thing that they did in that movie to make it seem that Bruce was still in it after minute 15. But that is for another day. TODAY we talk Big Boss so here is a plot summary:

Chein (Bruce Lee) is a city boy who moves with his cousins to work at an ice factory. He does this with a family promise never to get involved in any fight. However, when members of his family begin disappearing after meeting the management of the ice factory, the resulting mystery and pressures forces him to break that vow and take on the villainy of the 'Big Boss'.

As you read that it is short, sweet, and straight to the point. With this being an early 70s movie there is a lot of cheesy things like bright red fake blood, and easy to catch edits of people getting hit with knives and hatchets. Even with all goofy crap this movie still kicks ass 5 ways to Sunday. If you’ve never seen this movie and are a fan of any classic GOLDEN HARVEST movie or any old Kung-Fu talkie, then I highly recommend this. So with this being Bruce Lee's first major motion picture it's one of his best, he even helped write it, and Lo Wei directed it with Bruce's help. Bruce choreographed most of the fights scenes but that’s a given since he is BRUCE LEE. Anyway, when the film was released in Hong Kong in 1971, it included scenes that were later removed from all mainstream versions. Those scenes where of a man being cut in half by a circular saw, a man's forehead spewing blood from an artery cut caused by a knife, and a notorious depicti0n of a villain killed by "vertical partial cranial laceration" with a hand saw......Yeah that’s some heavy shit. But I cannot stress enough that I really love this movie. As with my other reviews don’t just take my word for it, go see it and start doing high kicks around your house and your place of work. OK so that is the end of my review/love letter to Bruce Lee and his Legacy.

Thanks of sitting down or standing up in a bus to hang out with me to talk talkies. I’ve have been your Talkie Shaman Matt Medina, Please come back next week when I have some other Talkie that will blow your wig off.

 by Nicholas Whittaker

Hello! I have seen probably 10 Football games in my entire life. I am qualified. This is how to play that game.

1. An important part of Football is the Uniform. It needs to be tough and manly, so make sure it is covered in nails and 2x4s.  You should be able to wear the fucking shed your dad built out in the yard where he used to go to drink when you broke something in the house.
 
2. Next is the helmet. Ideally this would also be very manly, perhaps made out of raw meat or raccoon skulls. It doesn’t even need to really protect your head, as long as you can still remember that you love drinking beer and masturbating. 

3.  Each team needs 8 players on the big green rectangle of fake grass, or, “field,” for play to begin.  So head down to your local supermarket, walk around the back, and ask the nice men begging for change if they want to play Football. If they are American they will say yes.
 
4. Pick a name for your team.  It needs to be tough sounding, like the Miami Murdermen or the Texas Tit Lovers.
 
5. Get in the right mindset, maybe go and kill some dogs. This may seem obvious but in order to be successful at Football you need to train dogs to fight each other and then kill them systematically when they lose or begin to get old.
 
6. Get on the field. You can’t play if you’re not there.
 

7. The referee throws a coin in the air and everyone yells “Heads” or “Tails.” The ref decides who has the prettiest voice and that team gets to go first.

8. Yay! Well, we ran out of space. Just go read this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_football_rules and have fun playing Football!

 by Glenn Rose

I’m not sure why so many people have decided that they don’t like pop music only because it’s popular. There are a lot of things that are popular that people do, like: breathing, eating, pretending they’ve seen documentaries, wearing hats, etc. Just because tons of people get into something doesn’t make it any less cool or good. If anything it’s kind of better if it has more people listening to it, because what’s a better judge of quality than tons of people listening to your stuff? Nothing that’s what. My taste in music does tend to be a bit less popular than pop music, but that’s probably just because I’m 19 and think being quasi-indie is cool and it’ll make girls like me. Let’s use a common example of people hating pop music: Ke$ha. I know it sounds like mindless dance-y drive,l but let me drop some knowledge on you before you tune me out with your records you bought at a thrift shop. 1. Ke$ha got 1500 on her SAT so she’s probably smart enough to write music none of us would understand. 2. She’s said before that she just wants to make music that makes people happy, and what’s happier than partying with your friends? 3. It’s super catchy and that’s awesome. Now I know some of you will say that a song being catchy doesn’t make it good, but to that I say, joke’s on you, your brain says otherwise. Your brain CLEARLY just likes the song so much that you have to repeat it over and over in your head. Music is music and why would you cut out a whole faction of it just because a lot of people like it? So button throw on that graphic tee you got at urban outfitters, put away that trendy, hip music and go down to the store and buy a pop album. So then we can all focus on things that really matter, like hating country music.

 by Humza Ghani, Vice President

I find it easy to get lost in thought when pondering the existential questions of life. I’ll often find myself thinking (for hours at a time) about the origins or destination of existence and whether or not they’re even relevant. I decided to write this article because of an interesting realization I had recently regarding these thoughts. If you follow me on twitter you may have seen me recently post a few late night tweets about this epiphany.

              Our bodies are completely comprised of atoms, most of which were formed in the cores of stars over a billion years ago. As a result of this fact, the eyes we use to see are also made up of these atoms. I was staring at the stars and contemplating this thought when I realized that, the stars are actually just looking at themselves. My eyes are made up of atoms that were formed by stars, and those atoms were being used to look at those stars. It’s a weird thing to think about. We’re as much in the universe as the universe is in us. In a way, we are the universe looking at itself. Everything we see and experience expands our consciousness. But in the end that’s all we really are: our thoughts.

            Immediately after thinking about this, I was overcome with a familiar feeling. The same feeling I get when I hear the loud cracking sound of thunder and my heart jumps, or when I experience the immensity of the ocean and how it never seems to end, or witness a forest of giant trees that have stood long before I was born, and will stand long after my death. It’s the feeling of humility. In our society we are constantly worrying about vexatious problems such as deadlines, payments, weight loss etc. I believe it helps to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. The importance of those troublesome problems begins to dwindle when you start to realize how tiny we are relative to the rest of the universe. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; it’s just the way it is. The universe is immense beyond our comprehension. Many people would argue that trying to understand the universe only complicates things because you fall into a train of thought that ultimately has no destination. But I would argue that it makes things simpler.

            As fascinating as all of these thoughts may be, it’s possible you’ll find yourself forgetting them. Consistently being dragged back into the drudgeries of everyday life is inevitable, especially in our society. But if the world ever seems too much to handle just try to think of those atoms, and how they connect us to the universe. It may make you feel small, but maybe that’s just what you need.

by Humza Ghani

When I was first asked to write an article for this website I wanted to discuss a topic that would serve well as an introduction to, whatever it is we’re doing here. Since Twitter acted as a catalyst to this collaboration, I figured it’d be a good place to start.

We live in an era where a large amount of information is shared through a myriad of outlets on the web (such as Twitter), connecting populations from around the globe. The introduction of new technologies, such as smart phones and tablets, allow us to access this information with the simple touch of our fingers. This development in technology can begin to identify and even form the era in which it exists. Something as vast as a nation or as small as an individuals mind can be affected by the technology in its time.

Twitter has established itself as a dominant figure in the social media world today. Like other social media outlets, Twitter has persuaded users that other users on that outlet are extremely interested in what they have to say. Users have developed an almost obligatory feeling towards expressing their thoughts on topics ranging from political issues to everyday occurrences. Each individual piece of information expressed by the user is usually mundane and insignificant on its own. However, over time these small pieces of information coalesce to form an identity for each individual user. As a result, this phenomenon creates an “online community” offering users to connect with each other in ways that distance and time had maybe restricted before.

All of this seems so obvious as I’m writing it, but I feel we take the power of Twitter for granted every day. We’ve been given an amazing tool that allows us to interact with each other almost instantly. I consider it a privilege to be able to read the thoughts of hundreds of brilliant minds every day. I try my best not to take that ability for granted. I think it’s important we use this tool to our benefit and try our best to avoid abusing its power. Whether or not we do, remains to be seen.