Friday, December 31, 2010

The 2010 photo review

2010 is donezo. Can't believe it, it absolutely flew by. I was fortunate enough to be a part of some awesome memories and hope that 2011 has some more for me! Instead of recapping everything I tried to throw some pictures together for everyone. I obviously missed a bunch of stuff, but hey montages can only be so long. So here's a look at 2010, hopefully these pics stir up some good memories for those who were there with me, all I can say to those that were is thanks, and keep em comin! I got a new camera for 2011, so look for more photo updates, especially of my newest venture: Park City, Utah!!!


Sunday River Skiing, New Years 2010, Teaching Colin the New Zealander to ski!

Me and Eric skiing Sugarloaf, MLK 2010

The first mullet pic, with the North Salem crew

Snowball formal with the roomies

Legendary, jorts..need I say more?

Chiddy Bang Concert, May 2010

Cinco de Mayo, don't drink the Joose

Kori and Kal, Kor's senior prom 2010

Cool puddles on Boston apartment roof

Banksy visits Boston! Alec and Lange observing the art.

2010, Lyle's Boston goodbye

USA vs. Czech Republic

Charles River summer sunset

Summer pool sesh

Lange swimming in the Charles River, not recommended, surviving the heat

Kori's graduation, June 2010

Bunker Hill

Northfield, Massachusetts sunset

4th of July in New Hampshire

Eric Dyer on our Boston roof, Boston skyline

Thunder Island Reunion, Maine, August 2010

Island livin

Bancroft Clan

North Shore Beachin August 2010

Beach Crew

Matty P records

Coolest pic of the year, bridge wipes out the color gradient. Two worlds on the Charles.

Charles River Summer

Mt. Mansfield, highest point in Vermont, August 2010

Chris Loehr down by Lake Champlain, August 2010

Halloween with the Afterbangerz

Mustache season December 2010

Xmas Tree Lighting, Commonwealth Ave Boston, Lange

Frog Pond skating, December 2010

Xmas Party

Xmas Party, the crew!


Happy New Years everyone! Here's to another great year!
I haven't formulated a New Years resolution yet, but for now I'll stick with my go-to: Find Tupac.





Monday, December 27, 2010

Because Monday Covers Doesn't Believe in Breaks

Never really got into the country music scene. I know people pretend to like it because it has "relatable" songs and blah, blah, blah, but it just was never me. One particular thing country did that got under my skin was the covering of every song imaginable with that irritating twang.

Well now it's your turn country. BOOM! Country got covered, and by who else than reggae superstar Toots and the Maytals. Not only did they cover country they covered one of its biggest stars and biggest hits with John Denver's "Take Me Home (Country Road)" and absolutely nailed it! So get your dubstyley on and enjoy this funky cover. JAH BLESS...planet Earth...



Saturday, December 25, 2010

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Tuesday Covers! (Monday was so first semester...)

Welp jeez, I finally blew it. A monday cover gone astray. Please forgive, the kid was tryin to get his shred on up north.

After hours slaying the finest man-made snow the ice coast has to offer, I felt it was time to repay my loyal followers. Today's cover is probably one of the best cover's ever created, The Red Hot Chili Pepper's rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground". If you don't like it, tough nuggies!

And to all of my Europe adventurers, get home safe will ya?


Thursday, December 16, 2010

Big gulps eh? welp cya later....

The rumors are true, my Boston tenure is over, temporarily. Tonight is my last night in the Bean before I head home and then to my new residence, Park City, Utah! For 4 months I will be out working with the U.S. Ski Team, an adventure I'm super psyched for. While I'm bummed to miss out on the happenings in Boston, I think I'll be able to forgive myself, at least for the time being.

Also, I'm excited to use the blog to update people instead of just rambling. Finally a purpose! I hope to get a camera out there and keep you loyal minions as updated as possible, get on my ass if I don't.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention, don't have housing quite yet, so this could prove rather interesting. I'll keep you in the loop, keep reading, the next few months should feature some exciting stuff! B EZ Bostonia...

Monday, December 13, 2010

Mundae Cover

Today's Monday Cover represents a momentous occasion because today, the 13th of December, I am introducing you to the legend that is Bobby Thomo. Bobby Thompson was my soccer coach at Northeastern and before that a former Big East tournament MVP playing at BC. Imagine the surprise of my teammates and I when we found he was also an accomplished, albeit self-taught, singer. One of the many gems from his youtube repertoire is today's cover, a take on Mario's "You Should Let Me Love You", a jam in its own right. So ladies and gents, in typical giving holiday spirit, I give you the smooth grooves of Bobby Thomo.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

ode to a dreamer

Today 30 years ago, we lost an innovator and a voice of the people, rest in peace John Lennon.

What a rough two day spell, imagine what history would be like without them..




Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Monday, December 6, 2010

Monday...You know the drill. COVER!


Remember folks, beards lead to mustaches and therefore sketchy beards lead to sketchy mustaches. It's science.



On the topic of Monday covers, the semester is winding down, and my time has been crunched to say the least. Figured it was a good time to throw the Chris Brown "Forever" cover out there. Always been a fan of the song, so my selection process was rather picky, but I actually ended up liking an amateur cover by OTS the best out of all the ones I heard. Hope you enjoy, happy studying amigos.



Monday, November 29, 2010

Monday Coverz

Ok kids, time is winding down on this semester and classes are heating up. Stress will be an all too close acquaintance over the next week, but today being Monday I still have a cover for you. It'll take a whole lot more than that to disrupt this train. Today's cover is semi-ironic, mainly because it's by an artist who himself is beyond imitation (unless you're Joaquin Phoenix, but...err... that doesn't count). That's right the Man in Black himself, Johnny Cash takes a stab at Monday Covers this week with his rendition of "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails. This cover was fairly publicized, but regardless, it was a great lyrical farewell for the legendary Mr. Cash. Enjoy beezys.



Thursday, November 25, 2010

Thankful

My greatest fear is indifference, and today, on our day of thanksgiving, I am thankful that my journey has lead me far from it.

Thanks to everyone for a great year, and let's keep it going for another one. Cheers to family and friends.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

The Verdict: Hipster Glasses

So I can almost promise this will be the last fashion post ever on this blog, but this one could not be avoided.




OK folks, what's the deal with the hipster glasses? You know the ones. Big, doofy, clear-lensed, and without any real magnification. I saw a cute girl on the train the other week rocking them hard, and I just couldn't get my head around it. It seems like not long ago that the kid with four eyes were relentlessly ragged on, and this girl was fully convinced she looked good.

I obviously don't get it, but imagine, people who actually wear glasses out of necessity, they must be absolutely boggled. Here they are trying out contacts and risking their eyesight with Lasik surgery, and across from them sits a flanneled, tight-jeaned college kid rocking the obnoxious glasses they're trying to avoid. That must be a trip, I can only imagine.

For the most part I have no problem with the hipster movement, in fact my wardrobe patterns are quite in line with it. However some things are just a little too dumb, and the rimmed glasses are no exception. If you think they look good, let me the be the first to tell you, they don't. Sorry kids.


On another note, just to continue staying ahead of the hipster trends, I'm getting a pair of RecSpecs tonight, it's the only logical next step. B EZ hipstarrs..





Eric Dickerson, so hipster right now...Eric Dickerson

Monday, November 22, 2010

Not So Monday Covers

OMGahhh, I finally slipped up. It's like the Patriots in the Super Bowl, I totalllly choked, out of nowhere! I'm sorry comrades, I had a cover but I just didn't get around to posting it. This week's cover is by Mr. Sam Sparro, a relative unknown out of Australia that I stumbled upon during my endless Interwebz excursion. Regardless, the cover is dope, because dope is what dope does, ya digg? Enjoy beezys, and please, above all else, B EZ...

Friday, November 19, 2010

Between a Rock and... well.. a Rock

Ok the title is a little brutal but hear me out. I watched "127 Hours" this week, the story of climber Aron Ralston, the man who got his arm caught between a boulder and a canyon wall and was forced to amputate his own arm to survive.
The lengths Aron (played by James Franco) goes to survive are more than impressive, and his understanding of the wilderness he battles is second to none. There is no doubt this man is at home in the wild and understands the inherent risks involved with his dangerous past times.

And this is where I have my issues with sympathy. Someone so survival-savvy and experienced decides to go out on this jaunt that eventually costs him his arm and tells... no one? Not a soul. And for this he nearly loses his life. I'm not saying that he deserved what happened to him by any means- he was incredibly unlucky- but use common sense guy! Tell someone? Leave a note?

What I took from it is our arrogance as a whole when it comes to nature. No matter ow well prepared we are, if the respect for the danger isn't there, then your set up for failure. Ralston had the appreciation for nature, but I think he lacked the respect for nature's awesome power. Mother Nature really is the boss lady, definitely not one to be messed with. I'm glad Ralston survived, but I was most happy that he realized his errors and was given a chance to atone for them later.
From a visual perspective the movie was awesome, showing some amazing landscapes and making me ache that much more for a return trip West. It really is some beautiful country. Considering a majority of the action is James Franco stuck to a rock, the movie is pretty entertaining and I would definitely recommend. As for the previous stuff...that's my rant and I'm sticking to it. B EZ squids...

Monday, November 15, 2010

Monday Covers (SPECIAL!)

Hello all. Welcome to Monday Covers Birthday Edition Xtravaganza. That's right folks, 22 years ago today the kid stepped on the scene, kicking and screaming no doubt. I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to all of my friends and family for everything, you're all the best and mean a lot to me. I've been lucky to meet a lot of people and everyone has shaped me into what I am today. SO for what it's worth: Thanks for being you, and putting up with me. HA.


So never one to disappoint, I thought ahead for today and saved a so very prodigious cover for you dudes and dudettes. This one comes from one of my favorite bands over the years, Cake. This band has an awesome sound that utilizes a lot of different instruments and puts on a killer show. The group recently did an impressive cover of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs", but today I'm bringing you back a little further to their cover of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive". You may not know the artist, but you definitely know the song. Anywho, this cover is dope, enjoy it and the day. B EZ.



Sunday, November 14, 2010

*Must See Update*

In an attempt to make his blonde mustache "pop", my roommate Nicholas Langelotti, aka Sir Langelot, has purchased and applied "Just For Men Beard Coloring Gel: Jet Black".

The picture on the box: Bearded Walt Frazier

The end result: Great Dirt-stache success.

...taking life a little too seriously over here at 114.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Monday Covers

I actually learned something from today's Monday Cover. Who knew that it could be such an educational tool? Anyways, yeah, I thought that the actual original of this song was the cover, but turns out I was horribly mistaken.

The original "Heartbeats" was by The Knife only to be covered by Jose Gonzalez on his debut album. Both are great songs with completely different feels. The Jose Gonzalez cover is an eerie acoustic bit with a unique vocal style I can't quite define. It's one of those songs that you'd expect to see in a montage of some indie film. I liked it, and so should you. Happy Monday kids.


Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Huzzah

Today I gave blood for the first time, and after being a little apprehensive at first, I feel great! I'm glad I could finally do it.

Since I'm in such a giving mood today I decided to bless you minions with a great Biggie remix. Now I know that this is in a similar vein as the Notorious xx (Biggie x The XX) but hey that was a great album right? Why not get more? You may recognize the beat as the opening song in House, the artist is Massive Attack. Enjoy beezys.

I also found out that the creator of this remix, DJ KPAC, is a friend of a friend, so basically I'm famous through association, sweet.



http://www.themahoganyblog.com/2010/10/notorious-b-i-g-vs-massive-attack/

Link was the best I could do, for some reason I could only find it on blogs, weak on my part.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Get Behind It

If I've learned anything in life, it's that everyone has a story. No matter how small or how seemingly insignificant, everyone has their own tale to tell. Unfortunately many of us go through our days worried about our own stories, not stopping to think about the stories of others and how our stories may be affecting there's. I know for a fact that I have said or done things that drastically affected others stories without my knowledge, and regrettably not all of those were good things. It's just too easy to focus inwardly sometimes.

But over the last few years I've really become painfully aware of it, it bugs me, and it's something I've vowed to change. Honestly it's one of the reasons I'm pursuing journalism, to listen to as many stories as I can. Sometimes it can be as easy as asking a friend "whatsup", you never know what answer you can get.

Take for example this short video my friend John showed me yesterday that one some awards at the first annual VIMEO awards. It's the story of a man that has to put his dog down after its long bout with cancer. The story is sad, true, but relatively mundane and regular (we've all had to do it, it sucks, etc.). But documentarian doesn't stop at the surface, he continues to ask and listen and finds out that this dog helped the man kick a nasty drug addiction and saved his friends in much of the same way. In fact this dog did what most of us can too often forget, he listened, objectively and without judgement, and as a result he saved 3 lives. Pretty simple, pretty powerful. I know that after seeing this I'm going to continue trying to open my ears and connect with as many stories as I can and I challenge you to do the same. I apologize for the preacher-esque tone of this one, but sometimes it's good to take a step back.


If you're unaffected by this short vid, you're officially an emotional cyborg. B EZ ladies and gents.


Monday, November 1, 2010

Monday Covers

Well in a short summary (to be extended later) Steve Aoki was unreal, halloween was crazy, and Boloco gave away free burritos, need I say more?

But back to the real matter at hand, today IS Monday and as promised, I have another cover for you. I was introduced to this cover over the weekend, and I have to say I was impressed. I always appreciate when artists pick interesting songs to cover, and who more interesting to cover than Robert Palmer? Florence and the Machines do a great job with this one, although I doubt their music video will be able to top the original (if that reference goes over your head, you should probably tab over to youtube). Alright dudes and dudettes, more to come this week, but for now B EZ.


Thursday, October 28, 2010

Tunage

So I'm about to head to a Steve Aoki show and I'm ready to get my head spun. I'm hoping this act is as good as everyone says.


Regardless I'm in the music mood and I can't be stopped, so here's a little jam for your cerebrals. I can't explain my taste in music really, other than "I like what sounds good". This song by Thunderheist, a Canadian DJ/MC combo, definitely falls in that category. It's like a hybrid between a Run DMC beat, an edIT beat, and Kelis on the mic, quite the random combo, but for some reason it just works. One of those songs that I really got into, maybe you'll feel the same, definitely worth checking out. The anthem of the little booty girl, somewhere Sir-Mix-A-Lot is shaking his head.


And oh yeah the video features a hipster gang battle, what's classier than that. B EZ ninjas..


Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Halloween

OK Halloweiners I know you guys need help with costumes and I'm here for you. Forget Dorothy's costume shop on Mass Ave., no one is trying to wait 45 minutes on line to spend 70 bucks on a pair of rainbow suspenders.

Initiate Phase 2: Thrift Stores. Now that's kind of where I come in. I usually find myself at a thrift store for regular clothes shopping, so Halloween just seemed natural. Whether you're looking for the last piece of that Miley Cyrus costume you've been dying to show off or you need an idea all together, the thrift stores are the place to go. Here's a list and brief descriptions for the costume savvy:

Urban Renewals: This Thrift Store over near BU offers a surprisingly good selection. It looks small from the front, but extends way back into a warehouse and has some awesome and reasonably priced stuff. Not a great selection of jerseys of t-shirts, but tons of weird jackets and stuff for throwing together a costume. Also there is a huge section of old toys and sports gear that can make for some creative ideas, definitely worth a look.

The Garment District: Probably the most highly publicized thrift store I've ever been too (TV commercials, really?), this Cambridge store is hit or miss. It recently partnered up with a costume shop so there is plenty of merchandise, but the prices are kind of up there for thrift clothing. The real deal here is the Buck-a-Pound section on the first floor, which is essentially a ball pit full of clothes that everyone rummages through. As advertised the clothes are a dollar a pound, and you can buy in bulk. There's some really strange stuff in the pile, but hey you might get lucky, snagged a pretty sweet Boston Marathon jacket last time I was there. That one dollar purchase really broke the bank.

The Goodwill Store (West Roxbury): There's Goodwills all over Boston, but this one is by far the best. It's a huge store with a large selection and the best prices of anywhere I've found around the city. Add in that they literally have Halloween racks full of assorted clothes and it's easily your best bet. A 10 minute walk from International Village, this Goodwill definitely has what you're looking for.


Hope that helps a little folks, get on it.

PS when did thrifting become hipster? What if you're just cheap?

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Ah the Urban Fall

Touche Charles River, touche. Just as I was beginning to accept the fact that I'd miss fall once again by spending my autumn months in Boston's concrete jungle, today threw me for a loop.
On an impulse call, I skipped my first hour of work study this morning to hit up a bike ride along the Charles. I've been doing that since about June as a general stress reliever and time passer, but I had kind of figured the rides would be over by late October. Thankfully mother nature blessed us with a random gorgeous day, and I really couldn't pass it up.

I've heard from friends and family around New England that peak foliage season was about over, but around my apartment trees are either still green or leafless, leaving a very distorted image of supposed fall foliage. However, along my ride this morning I really got to see a full array of colors; Brilliant oranges, bright yellows and reds lined the pathway and I started to realize just how many different trees are down by the water, pretty cool. Now I know I sound like an old tourist when I talk about this stuff, but I'm kind of a sucker for a good photo and that's exactly what I was riding through for the entirety of my 40 minute ride. It felt really great to lose myself in another world, especially one I don't really get to see much in the city.

It's unbelievable how close we live to the Charles and yet I feel like very few of us actually go down there. I tried to make a point of it this summer, but since school has started I've again started taking it for granted. I'm hoping this weekend offers some more good days so I can take advantage of the scenery before it takes a turn for the worse, and if you have the time, I strongly suggest you do the same, if, for nothing else, just to clear your head. All I can say is that I'm glad I took a right turn out of my apartment and headed down to the river this morning, as it put a completely new light on an otherwise ordinary day.

Next time I'll bring a camera, but hey it offers you a chance to get down there and discover it for yourself, and I'd say it's worth it. Aight dudes and dudettes, as always, B EZ.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Monday Coverses

Monday Covers is branching out today giving you the largest variety of covers this side of Stetson East. Today's cover comes from a super talented dude by the name of Jake Shimabukuro. Don't let the frosted tips fool you, the dude can kill it on the ukelele. I stumbled onto his stuff a few years ago and this song is by far my favorite. Covering the Beatles' George Harrison, here's Sr. Shimabukuro with "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." B EZ bostonia, I promise I'll actually write something this week.



Friday, October 22, 2010

Sincere Apologies

Wow, kid's been lazy this week huh? Sorry about that folks, I'm trying to get my internship applications in order, I promise I'll provide proper enlightenment soon. For now I leave you with this remixed classic jam circa early 2000s. Hope you enjoy. Get outside this weekend, if you're in the Boston area, Head of the Charles will be awesome, definitely check it out. Also if you're on Northeastern campus, pick up a Tastemakers magazine, it's free, I wrote an article, what else do you need? Ok everybody, B EZ... and oh yeah...go ducks.



Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Git it

Fish tacos courtesy of Sr. Lange:

- Pan-seared tilapia w/ Adobo seasoning
- Corn tortillas (has to be)
- Avocado slices
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime
- Seasoned rice
- Frijoles Negros (black beans, gringos)

Add in some fried plantains from yours truly, and you got the dankest of the dank. Cafe 114, wutup, get at me.



Monday, October 18, 2010

Monday Covers

Columbus couldn't stop me two weeks in a row, I'm too sharp for that jazz. Speaking of the latter (like that segue?), today's ditty is a little Jamie Cullum jazz cover of Pharell's "Frontin". A completely different take on a solid Pharell jam, this song is surprisingly pleasant and easy to listen to. For the musically inclined, enjoy. For everyone else..happy monday?





Friday, October 15, 2010

wutup friday

Me: Want to hear something cool?

You: Uh, what is it?

Me: The best Jay-Z mashup ever.

You: I'm intrigued by your query, I'd love to take a gander..

Me: Dope.





ya dood is back..B EZ..

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Welcome to the Experiment

So I want to introduce you to a little pet project of mine: The Blind Camera. Now the concept is easy enough, but the results have been surprising to say the least. I have this cheapo digi camera that my friend gave me at a graduation party senior year of high school. Pretty solid, easy to take around and snap a few shots, and loads easily onto the computer. Needless to say I took it everywhere and got a lot of decent photos to remember some pretty cool trips. So when the little bugger fell on move-in day last year, broke its display screen and for all purposes seemed useless, I had a hard time throwing it away. Instead I changed the batteries, turned it on and started taking pictures. The only catch was, I couldn't see any of my photos, hence the birth of the blind camera. The pictures upload to my computer still and I can empty my memory card right off of the computer, so it's fully functional.

The actual shooting however, forces me to rely on my eyes, and thus far has helped me see my photos completely differently. I shoot what's pleasing to the eye, not worrying about the "mechanics" of my shot. Some pics come out great and some are eh, but that's been the beauty of the whole deal for me. The digital age has killed the "accidental photo", because deleting pics on cameras now is easier than taking pics. By deleting pictures though, we miss some of our greatest moments. Sometimes the group of girls in the foreground isn't the most interesting part, instead its the little kid picking his nose in the back. That's what the blind camera has allowed me to do; enjoy these random moments in time. They're not the tightest photos, but they also don't seem staged and fake.

I have to upload all of my pics, it's the only way I can see them, so I get an interesting collection. It's a return to old photography, minus the hassle of developing film, the perfect crime. And for the most part I don't even have to alter my photos (minus a few saturation tinkerings). Don't get me wrong, I still love taking real photos with functioning cameras, but the blind cam is a nice departure from the norm. Not a bad look, definitely worth a try. B EZ bostonia.


(This photo uploader is on the weak side)



Gotta love Burlington, VT. Rock on Purple Message House.


Top of Burlington


4th Fyrewerks


NH Lake Summer


Northfield, MA. Broken Shutter Sunset


More Northfield, fire on the mountain


Charles River Cruisin


Don't Mess With the Hoff. US/Czech game


114 Rooftop Pimpin


Boston Summer Haze


114 Eye of the Storm


Yup. Leash kid


114 Roofin


Boston Downtown