straw fedoras

Attempting to live the hipster lifestyle in a mainstream world. But still, we are not hipsters.

[strawfedoras]

Which Dance Moms cast members are your next-door neighbors?

Out of privacy for the family (and myself) I'm not going to say.

[strawfedoras]

"Reality" Television

Blake here. I just moved back in with my parents for the summer while I find a job (post-grad life). Upon arriving at my house I find myself maneuvering my car around a swarm of TV vans and camera crews. "What's this?" I ask myself, certain that an answer will be readily available to me within moments. What I apparently ran into was my next-door neighbors being filmed for the "reality" television show they are going to star in.

The show is called "Dance Moms." Why anybody would watch this kind of garbage is beyond me, but apparently it has enough viewers to be moving into its 3rd season (somebody tell me how Firefly wasn't this popular!). Anywho, I decided to perch outside and watch as the filming began. The crew arrived on my block at 4pm. It is now 6pm and nothing has been filmed. The last 2 hours have been devoted to setting up the shots, lighting, and fake plot devices that they want to see in this episode. Filming will probably get started after sundown.

In my opinion, being allowed to call this program (and the many many others like it) "REALITY" should be illegal. The only thing real about this show is that it's a real waste of time and money. Don't get me wrong, I've known "reality" television was B.S. for a long time now. Nothing bothers me more than watching my roommates go apeshit over a scene in Breaking Amish or The Real Housewives of Whogivesacrap. It's just that I've never been witness to just how fake it really is.

If you stoop so low as to find entertainment from these shows, then I suggest you pick up a new hobby... perhaps russian roulette. It's shows like this that ruin society and it's the viewers that keep them running. STOP WATCHING "REALITY" TELEVISION.

Yours truly,

Blake

[strawfedoras]

Vegas

For someone who recently turned 22 I feel that I have been to las vegas a decent amount of times (7). This being said I have a love/hate relationship with vegas. When im not there all I want to do is go there. And when im there im usually counting the minutes until I leave, unless im winning which isnt often. But what ive noticed is that during the more recent trips there I haven't spent anytime at the pools, or anything other than gambling. A lot of people go to vegas to gamble but theres so much more to do as well. Hopefully next time I go I remember this, hopefully I dont go back too soon.

-straw fedoras

[strawfedoras]

Going back

Shortly after starting college I began slowly disconnecting myself from my high school, its town, and a lot of people from there. I didnt have anything against any of it, but I never lived in the town my high school was in so I was never too attached (accept when I was dumbly in puppy love). Even with this lack of connection I found it extremely relaxing to be back in my high school town today. I didnt see anyone as I was working all day. But simply to drive by my old stomping grounds, as it was, was nostalgia at its finest for me. Change is inevitable and personally i embrace it but sometimes going back and looking at where youve come from is just as necessary as moving forward - straw fedoras

[strawfedoras]

Nothing is beneath you.

I havent blogged lately mainly due to the fact that when I have free time now I spend it doing as little as possible and try to relax. Since my last post a lot has changed; my parents are graciously helping me pay off the ridiculous debt I’m in, and I am working about 40 hours a week being paid a little over minimum wage. I am still applying to jobs trying to begin a career and become self sufficient. And while I am not in the best scenario, or at least not in a situation I saw myself at this point, i have learned one very important lesson. Nothing is beneath you. No matter what degree you have, how much experience you have, or who you know. Nothing is beneath you when you have to eat. And im very thankful to have work and to have supportive friends and family.

- straw fedoras

[strawfedoras]

Life of a PostGrad: Not Worth The Trouble

As I count down the days to finally being on my own and off my parents leash I start to realize that I kind of liked the leash. The idea that to help pay for all my expenses might force me to get a credit card which will put me in debt, while already in extreme debt (thanks to private school) makes me cringe to no end. However I do feel that I have been prepared for this. Everyone told me how hard it would be to get a job and that I should change majors and what not. Either way I am here now. Working around 35 hours a week at my pay is landing me almost short of being able to pay my living expenses. And this is still taking into account that I am more than willing to give up on various luxuries. Regardless, I am going to have to find more work that will very likely not be in the field I dreamt of working in. 

So how do I make all this into a positive. Because to be honest all that I just wrote just reminded me how much things are changing for me. I've always been taught to make positives out of bad situations. For example: After just breaking up with a girlfriend I think of the fact that I now have more time to study or work or anything productive. Making a positive out of my current situation has been harder, I must say. But I have learned that to achieve my goals during times of high stress and adversity is focusing on taking actions that move me forward and not allowing actions that are not worth my time or the trouble to hold me back. 

Maybe the positive of my situation is that I already know a whole lot of different ways to cook ramen. Maybe its not. 

"One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular."

-Tony Robbins 

-straw fedoras

[strawfedoras]

Bad Social Media Use

Those who know me well know that I am addicted to social media. No wonder I became a communications major in college and my work experience is in social media, amongst other things. And while I have learned that social media can be used to help a business get to the next level, recent experience has showed it can do the same in damage. I may not be an expert but if I have learned anything truly helpful about social media it is this: if your content isn't organic or at least set to a schedule then don't post it. I say this because some startups or social media newbies put too much into their social media presence. This then makes their content more annoying and feeble than anything. Regardless of how big social media is, offline interactions will always be more important than online. If you don't have it offline then don't act like you do online. -straw fedoras

[strawfedoras]

Wait... Who's a Postgrad?

Graduating a semester early and living in a house full of juniors and engineers that are staying for extra semesters has created the perfect storm to shine a light on the fact that I am no longer a college student. You'd think I'd have already realized this. But when most of the conversations in my house revolve around college classes, parties, or greek life, it's not always easy to think about life after college. Even the other postgrads I spend most of my time with talk about doing undergrad over. Not because they regret something but because it was that much fun.

And it was fun. It was the most fun I have had up to this point in my life. And I dont think I would trade my undergrad experience for another. A friend lost his two front teeth, I was able to live in the party house and see freshmen lose their innocence, and I still managed to graduate. So no regrets right?

Yea I may never be able to throw another toga party or black light party in my living room. I may not have a shitty homemade bar in my house. And chances are I won't be able to go on any more spur of the moment road trips all the time. 

But one of the few things that give me hope that the next chapter of my life will also be mind blowingly awesome is that when I was a freshmen in college I was talking about high school like this. Sure I was excited to be in college but I still missed high school. And now four years after that I can barely recall a singular day from high school. Hopefully I remember most of college. But at least I know there's still a lot to come.

- straw fedoras

[strawfedoras]

The Perfect Ending

One of my favorite movies that many people don't even think of is Secret Window featuring Johnny Depp. Its a great movie and Depp is amazing as usual. But what got me to love it was the same thing that got me to love writing, regardless of how good or terrible I am at it. This idea of being able to create the perfect ending. We all dream of having this ability in real life. To be able to wake up the next day in their dream bed and next to their dream spouse. 

And I am not trying to look past all the hard work that people put into creating perfect endings within their own lives. Most of the time the journey is much more exciting and worthwhile then the ending anyway. And the obvious difference between the perfect ending in writing and it in real life is that in real life you have to wait to get there, while in writing you might already have that perfect ending in your head. Or you may be like Johnny Depp and you're going crazy trying to formulate the perfect ending. 

We all must remember we can't just write a perfect ending for ourselves, even if you are like me and hope that writing leads you to your perfect ending. Instead we must learn from the multitude of imperfect endings that happen to all the short storys in our lives. We must step back and look at the big picture and realize that there is so much more writing to be had. 

-straw fedoras

[strawfedoras]

Passed Down Generations

We all have one. An item passed down from one generation to the next. From clothing to pictures, to jewelry and other assorted heirlooms. We become jealous of those who had it before and find it hard to pass it on when our time has passed. And as imperfect beings we might hold onto it for too long. Today one of those heirlooms broke. But it is merely an item. It is sad that it will not be shared for generations to come. The value lies not in its mortality but in the memories had by those who have shared it. And sometimes you just have to buy something new and start a new tradition. - straw fedoras

[strawfedoras]

Kendrick Lamar is a poet - not a musician

So, Batman wrote something pretty good recently about hip-hop and Kendrick Lamar. Batman knows this, but you probably don't: I really don't like rap/hiphop. Occasionally, I find a song or group that I enjoy. Just like I occasionally find a country song I enjoy (again, sorry to all the girls going to Stagecoach). I just have this strange, not racist, feeling that I'm too white to enjoy it. You ever see a white guy cruising down the street in their car, BLASTING rap, bumping their head up and down and think, "Man, that white guy sure is cool."? No, because it's just lame. I blame my dislike for rap on that stigma. However, I have acquired valid reasons to dislike rap over the course of my life. Number 1: Rap/HipHop comes in two categories (as Batman discussed), Category one, good lyrics. Category two, a "dope" beat with lyrics about getting fucked up, getting money, and getting girls... we'll just call it 'trash'. There are really good, obvious, reasons to hate category two. I'll start listing a few. "Pussy ho, pussy ho. She a pussy ho until she give me pussy, ho." -Rick Ross. "I'm so high, nigga, I could talk to rain." -2 Chainz "On my Proactive shit, pop that pussy like a zit." -French Montana Honestly, I apologize for the language in the last paragraph. It's vulgar, rude, and it sets the civil rights/feminist movements back at least 50 years. I've seen people string better sentences together whilst black-out drunk. That being said, there does exist rap with some interesting, well written/spoken lyrics. This is the rap that Kendrick Lamar is bringing back (or so I've been told). I still don't really like this music.... Why don't you like rap with good lyrics, Allstate? I'm glad you asked. In my opinion, rap with good lyrics is poetry more than it's music. I'm not saying poetry is bad. To be honest, I think Lamar's song Poetic Justice uses words in ways I couldn't even dream of. He speaks faster and more fluently than most people using the English language, and he does it all on beat. But Poetic Justice is just that... poetic. Lamar doesn't sing. The only instrument is a drum kit (produced, not played). Nothing more to it. So, as far as poetry goes, rap (category 1) rates in the top tier for me. As for music, somewhere near the bottom (category 2). If you're looking for me thumpin' dat bass in my car, cruzin' down the street... don't hold your breath. You're in good hands, Allstate

[strawfedoras]

Word Problems

If a college student gets on a train traveling 60mph North at 6:35pm, and another college student of the opposite sex (or same sex, we don't discriminate) gets on the same train... how long will it take them to realize word problems aren't easy to write? The exercise you just partook in is a real life example of how confused I am about one thing: Life I feel like I speak for all of the graduating class of 2013 when I say, "HOLYSHIT, INEEDHELPANDDONTKNOWWHATTODO!" (Also, if you can read that you deserve a metal). There isn't a moment of my short life that I can remember that I wasn't enrolled in some sort of formal education. And now, right when I'm getting good at it, they toss me out, give me a piece of paper, and send me into the real world!? I'm not prepared for this one bit. Where am I going to live when my lease expires? What if I don't get a good job? What if I don't get any job? How do I meet new friends if I move to a new city? How do I meet girls if office romance is a no-no? These are all questions that I don't have the answers to. A wise man once told me, "[Allstate], it's not what you know it's who you know." That always gave me comfort because it took the pressure off of me to know things. All I had to do to be a success was know people... I could do that. Well that person who gave me that advice was wrong. I want to know things. No, I need to know things! I need to know where I should move. I need to know where to look for jobs. I need to know  And the worst part about it all, I need to know it soon. Time is running out. At this rate, I'll either be homeless or live with my parents (I'd prefer the former). I don't have all the answers to life. I may pretend I do. I may have gotten by perfectly fine until now without them, but it would do me a lot of good if I could just figure out just a few more of them. I clearly need a little more help. After all, I can't even write a good word problem. You're in good hands, <- questionable Allstate

[strawfedoras]

- straw fedoras

[strawfedoras]

Choosing a path

I spent the beginning of college trying this and that and loving every moment of it. If I showed up to class still drunk from the night before I didn't care. Grades didn't matter to me, life did. 

And then like most people I knew in college around Junior year I decided I need to figure out what I am going to do with my life. I found an amazing internship, took harder and more specific courses, and made sure to get every last drop out of my fraternity experience. All I could think about is what I was going to do next and how that would lead to an amazing life.

And then one day a co-worker in his mid thirties told me his biggest mistake he ever made was trying to figure it out right after college.

BOOM.

There I was frozen in time and completely broken down. I had to make a decision, to keep doing what I was doing and get ready to do 9-5 for the rest of my life. Or take a break and figure things out.

I chose the latter. Was it the right decision? maybe.

My life is in shambles. Im three months away from having to pay back school loans, and two months away from being cut off from my parents. I don't have many strong leads on jobs and I haven't taken the GRE yet (plus I suck at standardized tests). 

But regardless of how scary this might seem I have learned a lot from my decision to make less decisions. I've learned what I truly want to do and what I am willing to do. I've learned what things I need to improve or simply begin. But most of all I've had fun. So I have no regrets, and if you see me working part time at some restaurant its not because I have given up. Quite the contrary, it means I have begun (and I need to pay off my debt). 

So moral of the story don't be too pressured to be on the same kind of path everyone else is on because that path may lead to you being a 30 year old whose not happy with their life choices.

- straw fedoras

[strawfedoras]

Kendrick Lamar is bringing lyricism back

I consider myself a fan of all music, except for country (sorry all the girls going to stagecoach). But its hard to be taken seriously as a music connoisseur when one of my favorite genres is rap. The problem is that most people who aren't true fans only hear rap on the radio which is their first mistake.

I am the first to admit it that rap, hip-hop, and lyricism is dying and its not a slow death. Rappers such as 2 chainz have made a mockery of what once was true poetry in motion. A sadder fact is rappers that once had and very possibly still have amazing wordplay choose instead to make a song that features a "dope" beat and lyrics about money and bitches. Trust me I love those songs too, when im in the club though.

But from the ashes a phoenix shall arise. And that phoenix is Kendrick Lamar. He isn't the only one who is fighting the good fight of turning this genre from shit back into art. And there are a lot of other rappers that are doing the same (thank god).

If you dont believe me then check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBvngg87998

So before you give rap and hip-hop the death sentence after hearing a line such as, "she got a big booty so i call her big booty", give Kendrick a chance and hopefully he will open a new door for you.

-straw fedoras

[smileandbeavillain]

Original sketch by Greg Hill [x]

[strawfedoras]

NDT - tellin' it like it is -Allstate

[strawfedoras]

What Are Millennials?: A Millennial Guide to a Millennial World

I couldn't have said it better myself.... so i wont. 

-straw fedoras