A Podcast on High School Libraries

We all have some idea of what a college library is like. So to better understand the somewhat sad state of our educational system, I sat down with a high school student to talk about the taboo subject of libraries.

My YouTribute to the only rock band in Fondren's Music Catalog

This is my way of saluting Radiohead and all their greatness. (Oh, and did I mention that they're the only rock band in Fondren's great music collection?)

Yet another reason from why Radiohead may be the best band in the world

The other day I was picking through the neglected online CD catalog at Fondren for some good music when I came across music by a little British band you might have heard of called Radiohead. From what I can tell, Radiohead’s albums are the only rock ‘n roll albums (if you can call them that) in Fondren’s catalog (a subject search did not show any CD results). Fondren has every album of theirs (including their not-so-extraordinary debut Pablo Honey).

To be honest, Radiohead makes really great study music. Studies have shown that music with lyrics isn’t as conducive to studying as music without lyrics (e.g. classical and jazz music). But Radiohead gives the best of both worlds, combining a classical and jazz influence into foot-tapping, head-bobbing rockers with ambient, ethereal, electronic, instrumentals.

And I will confess, I’ve never been a huge fan of Thom’s lyrics. Having been a fan for years, I’m rather ashamed to admit that though I can recognize all of Radiohead’s music by ear, I don’t even know the titles of half of their songs. The names are just too weird. But that’s okay. Radiohead has always been a band first, a group of punk lyricists second.

If you disagree with me and think that Thom Yorke and his motley crue are a bunch of weirdos—well, all I gotta say to you is that one of the best music schools in the nation believes that Radiohead is the only rock’n roll band good enough to grace its music shelves.

The top 10 films at Fondren

There are plenty of great DVDs at Fondren. Here are my top ten:

1-Coppola's APOCALYPSE NOW --I first saw the Redux version; it seemed so fresh though it was 30 years old, and it still such a relevant film.

2-Herzog's AGUIRRE, WRATH OF GOD ---it inspired the above film. Herzog is my favorite director still working

3- Miyazaki's SPIRITED AWAY-- his films can't help but make me relive the joy of childhood.

4- Ford's THE SEARCHERS-- probably the film that turned me from a Western-hater to a Western-lover.

5- Welle's CITIZEN KANE-- it really amazes me that Welles was only 26 when he made this terribly mature film.

6- Forman's ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST -- this is probably among the funniest films I have seen. It convinced me that a film didn't have to be recent to be humorous.

7- Chaplin's THE GOLD RUSH-- the first Chaplin film I ever saw (I was 6 years old). Even then, I knew it was great.

8- Ray's PATHER PANCHALI -- Satyajit Ray is one of film's few Renaissance men.

9- Kaufman's SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK --somewhat critically maligned, but it takes a couple viewings to truly "get."

10- Kurosawa's SEVEN SAMURAI --the only 3-hour film I have managed to watch in one sitting, without a single yawn.